Wayback Wednesdays 7 - Difficult Times
by The Real JL Rules
Summary: Based on the 2001 animated series. Bruce and Diana Wayne are expecting, but one of the Batman's greatest enemies finally implements his plan for world domination - by destroying it... Originally written in 2003.
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 1

The doors opened, and two people walked out of the hangerbay. They went down the corridor, slowly. One was staying close to the other, supporting it as they walked.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked Diana.

"Of course," Diana replied, smiling. "You don't have to hold me."

"I just don't want you to stress yourself," he said. "You shouldn't push yourself too much."

Diana sighed. "Look at you, all fretting."

"I'm not fretting," Batman said flatly.

"Well, what do you call hovering over me, holding my arm and walking slowly?" she said.

"Necessary caution," he replied.

Diana stopped and Batman instantly stopped with her. She looked at him and stroked his cheek. "It's OK, you're cute when you're worried."

Batman's cheeks blushed. "I don't worry," he said as flatly as possible.

Diana shook her head. "If that's what you want others to believe."

Batman looked at her, then began walking again. Her arm still being held, Diana began walking too. "I don't see why you wanted to come here," Batman said. "It's not sensible."

"Why not?" Diana said. "I just want to see our friends for a bit. I've been cooped up in the house for so long… haven't been on any missions…"

"And you won't for as long as I see fit," Batman said.

Diana sighed. "You know, if you were any other man I'd punch you."

Batman smiled. "You could try."

"Right, that's it." Diana then lunged at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She forced her lips on his, and kissed him passionately. He was taken aback, but quickly adapted to the situation, holding her shoulders.

She broke the kiss, and they stared at each other. "That's a funny kind of punch…" he said.

She smiled. "Well, you've banned me from combat… so I just have to kiss you…"

"A sacrifice I'm willing for you to make," he said flatly.

She laughed. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"I get that a lot," he said.

She sighed. "I love you…" she said.

"I get that a lot, too," he said.

"You're supposed to…" Suddenly Diana stopped, and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and leaned back slightly, taking a step to steady herself. Batman immediately grabbed her and looked at her, concerned.

"Diana, are you alright?" he asked.

She was silent for a few moments, then took a breath. "Yes… just… felt a bit dizzy there…"

"Come on," Batman said, putting his arm around her. "I'm taking you home."

"No, you're not," she said. "I haven't seen Shayera for days. Now we're going to go to the lounge and be with our friends. And that's final."

Batman looked at her, and nodded slowly. "OK… but if you feel any more pain…"

"J'onn can take a look…" she began.

He put his hand on her chin and raised her head. "Diana," he said. "If you feel any more pain, we're going home. And THAT'S final."

She sighed. "OK…"

He slowly put his hand to her cheek, and stroked it gently. She closed her eyes and sighed contently. He then pulled her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He stroked her arm. "Come on, let's get you in a chair…"

/

They began walking again, and continued down the corridor.

Diana sunk into the chair, sighing as she wiggled herself into the cushion. She rested her elbows on the arms of the chair, holding her glass of milk to her mouth. "This is a lovely chair," she said.

Shayera sat on the end of the bed. "Yeah, I got that. John doesn't like it, but I let him put his medals on the wall, so we're equal."

Diana smiled. "So married life hasn't softened your stubbornness?" she asked.

"No," Shayera replied. "He knows who wears the pants in this relationship."

Diana frowned. "Pardon?"

Shayera looked puzzled, then nodded. "Never mind. And what about you? We haven't seen you for days."

Diana did not know what to say. On one had, she wanted to tell her friend about her condition, but she did not want anyone to know until it was proven that all was fine. She did not want to get anyone excited only to be disappointed. "I'm having a wonderful time," she said.

Shayera looked at her. "Is there something you're not telling me, Princess?"

"No," Diana said. "Why do you ask?"

"We haven't seen you in over a week," Shayera said. "You couldn't have been in that house for all that time."

"I haven't," said Diana. "I'm just… enjoying life right now."

"And you haven't been on missions with us since the wedding," Shayera said. "Is Batman not letting you out? Is he keeping you tied down?"

Diana went red. "Well, actually…"

"I mean, would it be so bad to spend some time with your friends?" Shayera interrupted. "We miss you, Diana. We miss both of you."

"We miss you too," said Diana. "But… things are complicated right now. When things have calmed down…"

Shayera raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Diana was silent. She had almost given it away. "Nothing," she said. She took a sip from her milk. They had an appointment booked at the doctors the next day. Once they were given the all-clear… then they would tell the others. "So what's been happening here?" she asked.

Shayera sighed. "Nothing much. J'onn is actually getting more distant… I don't think he actually likes John and I living here."

"I thought he'd like the company," said Diana.

"I think it reminds him of what he's lost," Shayera said.

Diana's face fell. "Oh. I guess we're kind of lucky."

"Yeah," Shayera said. "Flash is still happy with Linda. I think her parents are beginning to like him. Her father doesn't keep the gun loaded as much."

Diana smiled. It was then that she realised how lucky she was. She was with the man she loved, and they were about to become a family. She wanted to tell their friends, but not yet.

When the time was right…

/

Batman walked into the kitchen. He looked around and saw Superman sitting at the table, having a cup of coffee. Good… the one person he felt comfortable talking to.

"Hey, Bruce," Superman said, raising his hand. "How's things?"

Batman was silent for a moment, then went upto the table. "Good," he simply said.

Superman smiled. "Good. It's been awhile since we've seen you."

"I've spent longer times away from the Watchtower," Batman said.

"True, but we noticed you were gone more so," said Superman. "We're a family now."

Batman raised his eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I don't have Kryptonian blood in me," he said flatly.

Superman laughed. "You still got it, Bruce," he said. "How's Diana?"

Batman was silent again. He wanted to tell Clark about Diana's condition… but they had wanted to keep it secret until it was certain everything was alright. Still… he could trust the Boy Scout.

"She's… good," he said slowly.

Superman frowned. "You alright? You sound like something's up."

Batman was silent.

Superman narrowed his eyes. "Ah, I see. Something secret, eh?"

Batman remained quiet.

"How many words?"

Batman blinked.

Superman laughed. "Just a little joke there."

Batman looked at him.

"OK," Superman sighed. "Is it something business, or personal?"

Batman remained unmoved.

"Right," Superman said. He held his chin. "Hmmm… about Diana?"

Batman put his hands on the back of a kitchen chair.

Superman stoked his chin. "Two for two. OK… she bought something?"

Batman kept his hands on the chair.

"OK… she's done something?"

Batman looked at him.

"Something's happened to her?"

Batman lowered his head slowly.

"OK…" Superman mused. "Something's happened to Diana… something personal. She realised who she married?"

Batman glared at him.

Superman held up his hands. "Relax, relax, I'm kidding. Anyway, something personal with Diana… something's happened to her… you've both been away for days… you just got married… she hasn't been on any missions…" He suddenly stopped. His eyes widened, and he looked at Batman. "Great Scott," he said.

Batman straightened up. "Please don't tell anyone," he said.

Superman was silent for a few moments. "Er… sure," he eventually said. "Sure thing, Bruce. Your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you," Batman said. He then turned round, and went to the door.

"Bruce."

Batman stopped.

"Congratulations."

Batman looked over his shoulder. He took a deep breath, then left the room.

/

They sat in the room, waiting impatiently for the doctor. Diana was sitting up on the bed, and Bruce was sitting in a chair beside her, holding her hand. Next to them was an ultrasound machine, turned on and waiting to be used.

"Where is she?" Bruce asked.

"Relax," Diana said. "She won't be long. Calm down."

"I am calm," Bruce said. "I just don't like to be kept waiting."

"She's only been gone for ten minutes," said Diana. "From what I've heard of hospitals, that's nothing. I've heard of people being kept waiting for hours."

Bruce stood up and began pacing the floor. "I just want to know. I want to find out… make sure…" His voice trailed.

Diana tilted her head. "Make sure everything's alright," she said.

Bruce looked at her. "Yes."

Diana sighed. "You have to believe everything will, darling," she said. "It's been three months now… and the pain hasn't been as often as it was before."

"I just can't help worrying," Bruce said. "I want to get this day over with. I want everything to be fine… I want you to be fine… I want… I…"

"Bruce," she said, interrupting. "It'll be OK. I feel fine."

"You said you were in pain only yesterday afternoon," Bruce said, going upto her.

"That was just… a twinge," she said.

"I don't want you even to feel a twinge of pain," he said, caressing her cheek. "I just want you and the baby to be fine."

"We will," Diana said. "As long as you're with us."

Bruce smiled, and slowly leaned down. They kissed softly, then looked at each other. Diana sighed. "I love you," she said.

Bruce raised his head slightly, and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he said.

The door opened, and Bruce and Diana turned their heads to see Dr. Richards walk in. "Hello," she said. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Bruce raised his hand. "No worries."

Richards went over to the ultrasound and picked up the scanner. "How are we feeling?" she asked.

"Nervous," Diana said. "We just want everything to be alright."

"Don't worry, we'll see if there's anything wrong," Richards said. She went over to Diana's bedside and rubbed jelly over her bare stomach.

Bruce took Diana's hand in his and stroked her face. Richards then put the scanner to her stomach and ran it over the jelly.

The screen came alive with the readings of the scanner. The vague image of a baby in a fetal position appeared on the screen, as the sound of the baby's heartbeat came from the speakers.

Diana smiled. "Bruce…"

Bruce tightened his grip on her hand. "I know…"

A tear fell down Diana's face. "Our child…"

Richards put her stethoscope on and put it to Diana's stomach. She began to put it to different places, listening to the baby's heartbeat.

"Our house is going to feel so much smaller…" Bruce said.

"Not too small," Richards said. "I'm picking up two heartbeats."

Bruce and Diana darted their heads up. "What…?" Diana breathed.

Richards took the stethoscope off and placed it on her shoulders. She looked at them. "Mr. Wayne, Mrs. Wayne… you're going to have twins."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 2

Flash, J'onn J'onzz and Hawkgirl sat in the lounge, relaxing. Flash had his feet up, resting on the arm of the couch. J'onn sat in an easy chair, eating a box of Oreos. Hawkgirl sat on the puff, watching the TV.

Flash sighed. "Quiet, isn't it?"

Hawkgirl nodded. "Yes it is. The place has seemed awfully empty these past few weeks."

"I wonder where Diana is," Flash said. "She used to be here all the time. Ever since she started dating the Bat, we haven't seen any sign of her. I guess Bats' reclusiveness is rubbing off on her."

"I dunno," Hawkgirl said. "They came by the other day."

"Yeah, true, they did," said Flash. "Say, did you notice anything… different about Diana?"

Hawkgirl frowned. "Different?"

"Yeah," said Flash. "Like a sorta… glow."

Hawkgirl tilted her head. "Well, I did notice she was a bit… out of sorts. But she's been acting like that for months. I assumed she was just all google-eyed still."

"Love does strange things," J'onn said. "I remember when I met My'ri'ah. I was so infatuated, I got two weeks behind my work."

"That's sweet," Hawkgirl said. "John and I aren't like that. I guess because we all know who's boss."

"Yeah," Flash said. "Linda won't stay the night here anymore since your mace crashed through our wall."

"Well, what can I say?" Hawkgirl said, shrugging. "I was… emotional."

"Yeah, and we all knew it," said Flash. "I tell you, it isn't fair that Batman's room is the only room with soundproofing."

"Well, he did design this place," said Hawkgirl. "I guess he had dibs on all the luxuries."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Flash said. "Why does he have to be so secretive? He's the only one of us who has a secret identity."

"You have a private life," J'onn said.

"Yeah, but my identity isn't secret," said Flash. "Would it really be so bad if Batman loosened up a bit? Let his cape down? Had a drink, perhaps watched TV with us? I'm surprised Diana hasn't dragged him up here more often."

"Give them a break, they've just got marri…" Hawkgirl suddenly stopped.

Flash tilted his head. "They just what?"

Hawkgirl and J'onn looked at eachother. "Er… nothing," she said.

Flash darted his head between the two. "Is there something I don't know?"

Hawkgirl stammered. "Er…"

"We're married."

Everyone darted their heads to the doorway, to see Batman and Diana. They looked open-eyed at Batman. Even Diana looked surprised.

Flash stared open-jawed. "What did you say?"

"Diana and I are married," Batman said flatly, walking into the room.

Flash looked around at the others. "Since… since when?"

"Since a few weeks ago," Diana said.

"And why wasn't I invited?"

Everyone looked at eachother.

"I mean, don't you like me?" Flash said. "I mean, I went to that twit Bruce Wayne's wedding. Why wasn't I invited to yours?"

Diana looked at the ceiling. "Well, actually…" She was stopped by Batman, who put his hand up. He then went over to Flash. He stopped inches away from him, and looked at him.

"I'll explain later," he said. "In private."

Flash was silent, then gulped. "Er… I can't wait…"

Diana walked fully into the room. "Anyway, we have some news…"

J'onn and Hawkgirl stood up. "Oh?" said J'onn. "What's that?"

"Is it something to do with why you're not in uniform?" Hawkgirl asked, pointing at Diana.

Diana looked down at the loose Themyscrian gown she was wearing. "Yes," she said. She looked at Batman, who stepped away from Flash and stood close to her.

Hawkgirl folded her arms. "Well?"

Diana took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant," she said.

There was silence.

J'onn and Hawkgirl stared at them. Hawkgirl blinked a few times. "P… pregnant…?" she blurted out.

"Yes," Diana said, smiling hopefully.

J'onn and Hawkgirl looked at each other, then at Batman and Diana. Hawkgirl then grinned. "That's GREAT!" she squealed, holding out her arms. She rushed over to Diana, and hugged her enthusiastically.

Diana returned the embrace. "Thank you, Shayera. We were so worried how you'd react."

Hawkgirl loosened the hug and looked at her. "Don't be silly. We're overjoyed!" She touched Diana's stomach, and laughed. A tear went down her cheek. "I'm going to be an auntie…"

Batman and J'onn shook hands. "Congratulations," J'onn said.

"Thank you, J'onn," Batman replied flatly.

Hawkgirl turned around. "Flash, don't you have anything to say to the happy coup…" She stopped, and looked down.

Flash was splayed out, star-shaped, on the floor.

Hawkgirl looked at him. "He fainted."

"Guess the shock was too much for him," said J'onn.

"That's not all," Diana said.

Hawkgirl tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Diana smiled. "We're going to have twins."

There was a thud.

Batman, Diana and J'onn looked down.

Hawkgirl lay on the floor, star-shaped.

"The day's full of surprises," J'onn said.

/

John and Shayera lay in bed, holding each other. Shayera nuzzled herself close to him, sighing in contentment. John tightened his grip on her shoulder, pushing her closer. He lowered his head and kissed her hair softly. "How do you feel?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Better. My head's still hurting though."

"You hit your head pretty hard on the floor," John said.

"It's not hurting from that," she said, smiling.

John looked at her, then realisation hit him. He went red.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think we should get a padded headboard," he said.

She darted her head up. "No, not that, silly. I meant about Batman and Diana."

John stroked her arm. "Well, it certainly was a shock. It's not the kind of thing you expect to hear. Then again, I never expected to hear that Batman was Bruce Wayne."

Shayera nodded. "Yeah, it was a bit of a shocker. But don't you think it's wonderful? I mean, they're going to have kids! We're going to be like a proper family!"

John frowned. "'We'?"

Shayera sat up and folded her arms. "Well, yeah. All of us – we're going to be a family. We're going to be an aunt and uncle."

John sighed. "Can't we just be friends of the family?"

Shayera looked at him. "Don't you like children?"

John thought for a while. A LONG while. Eventually, he simply said, "Yes."

"Liar," she said. "What don't you like about them?"

John took another few moments to think of his answer. He looked at the stars, trying to buy more time. "I don't not like them…" he said slowly. "They're just…"

"Just… ?" Shayera pressed.

"They're just… a big responsibility," he said. "And I've never had time for children."

"Well, you better make the time, mister," Shayera said.

John darted his head to her. "Are you saying you want children?"

Shayera looked away and stuck her head in the air. "I'm saying I don't NOT want them," she said.

John did not know what to say. He felt whatever he did say would only make things worse. "Look, we're both too busy to have children…" he began.

"Fine!" Shayera said, and turned her back on him. She laid her head on her pillow, and pulled the duvet over her. "Goodnight!"

John sat in silence. "I love you…" he eventually said.

"Shut up," came the harsh reply.

John groaned. He rested his head in his hand, and looked out the window at the stars.

He did not look forward to her in the morning. She was cranky enough as it was…

/

Flash walked out of the observation room, holding his head. He walked aimlessly, not taking any notice of where he was going.

He walked down the corridor and sighed. He shook his head, still not taking any notice of where he was going.

He had just received some news. Some SHOCKING news.

He continued walking, going entirely on autopilot. He did not notice a figure standing in his path.

Until he walked right into it.

He crashed into the figure, and fell backwards. "Whoa!" He landed in a heap on the floor.

J'onn looked down. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Flash shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine." J'onn held out his hand. Flash took it, and the Martian pulled him to his feet. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere," Flash said.

"Anything wrong?" asked J'onn.

"You wouldn't believe what I've just found out," Flash said.

"I am open-minded," said J'onn flatly.

Flash looked around, then leaned close to J'onn. He put his hand to his mouth. "Well, I've just found out that Batman is…"

"Bruce Wayne, yes," J'onn interrupted.

Flash looked at him, shocked. "How did you know that? And for that matter, how did you know I was going to say that? For all you know I could have said, 'Batman likes dressing up in a tutu and dancing like a ballerina'."

"He's behind you," J'onn said.

Flash darted his head around, a look of horror on his face. "Is he?" However, no one was behind him. He turned back to J'onn. "Very funny."

"My apologies," J'onn said. "I just thought I'd give humour a go."

Flash folded his arms. "Great time to try. Anyway, how did you know?"

"Batman told me a few weeks ago," J'onn said.

Flash moaned. "Let me guess – everyone knows?"

J'onn looked a little apologetic. "Yes."

Flash began to walk down the corridor. J'onn walked with him. "So at the wedding," Flash said, "You all knew, and knew that I didn't know."

J'onn put his hand on Flash's shoulder. "We were going to tell you," he said. "It's just… only know has he gotten round to it."

Flash looked at him. "So you all enjoyed laughing at my ignorance?"

J'onn took his hand away. "No, of course not. It's just…"

"Save it, J'onn," Flash interrupted, putting his hand up. "I hope you liked your little joke. At least I know my role in this team – the butt of all the jokes."

"Now, Flash…"

"Forget it, J'onn," Flash said. "And tell the others to forget it too. That's me – the kid of the team. The idiot child of the team, not worth telling secrets to, eh? And if I'm not worth trusting, then I'm not worth worrying over, either. So just forget it."

With that, he rushed off.

/

Talia walked into the room, not sure if she would be welcome. She would rarely go in there, and even then, only when she felt she really had to. This was one of those times.

She looked around the darkened room. There were a few candles lit on the walls, yet the room was so large it offered little light. She could barely see five feet in front of her.

She took a few more steps forward, trying to make out her surroundings. "Father?" she said to the air. "Father, are you here?"

There was silence. Talia took a few more paces forward. "Father?" she repeated. "Are you here?"

Suddenly, a light came on from the ceiling, illuminating the centre of the room. Talia held her hand upto her face, as her eyes adjusted to the sudden lightness.

Ra's Al Ghul was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. "Why do you want to see me, daughter?" he asked.

Talia went upto him. "Father, I ask you to reconsider your course of action."

He looked at her. "You know me well enough to know that I will not," he said. "The course of action I have chosen is the course of action I will take. You know that. What are you really asking?"

Talia looked down, and brushed her hair away from her face. "Father," she began, "I ask that you spare my Beloved."

Ra's put his hand on hers. "My daughter, believe me, I would like nothing more than the Detective to join us in our cause, but I do not forsee that happening. He has made his choices, and we have to make ours."

"But father…"

"Enough," he said, putting up his hand. "I have spoken, and you will obey. I forbid you to contact him, or to go to him. I need you here, by my side."

Talia was silent for a few moments. "As you wish, father," she eventually said. She turned and walked away. She got to the doorway, then stopped at the sound of her father's voice.

"Everything will be alright, daughter," Ra's said. "Things will happen as they must."

Talia left the room, and went down the corridor. "As they will, father…" she said. "As they will."

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 3

Bruce lay in bed, wide-awake. He had not slept all night. Which was nothing unusual: he was usually never asleep at this time. He was usually out there, on patrol.

But not tonight. As they had several times over the past few weeks, Dick, Barbara and Tim had insisted on going out alone, and he stay at home with his pregnant wife.

His wife. It was still hard to believe. He was married. After all this time, he was married.

But for once, he was glad they had forced him to stay. Because his wife was in pain.

He had listened for the past forty minutes. Diana had been unsettled, tossing and turning. Her breathing had been ragged, and she had groaned in pain more than once.

He turned over onto his other side and faced her. "Diana," he said, "Get up."

Diana turned her head and looked at him. "Bruce… you're awake."

"Yes," he said. "I can't sleep with you like this."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't realise I was making that much noise…"

"I didn't mean it like that," he said. He leaned over and turned on his bedside lamp. He turned back to face her, raising himself on his elbow. She remained on her back, and he stroked her hair. "You've been hurting for days, haven't you?"

Diana's face fell, and a tear ran down her cheek. "It hurts so much…" she whispered. "Why does it hurt… ?"

"I don't know," he said. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the Watchtower. See if J'onn can find anything."

Diana wiped the tear away. "OK, I'll…" She suddenly stopped, and closed her eyes. She winced in pain, and held her stomach. She gritted her teeth, and gasped.

Bruce sat up fully and put one hand on her shoulder, the other on her stomach. He leaned close as she breathed sharply. "Bruce…" she whined, tears rolling down her face. "It… hurts so much…"

"It's never been this bad," Bruce said. "Come on, we're going to the Watchtower now." He flew away the duvet and got out of bed. He walked over to the other side of the bed and knelt down, his face parallel to Diana's. He put a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up," he said. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"

"I thought…" Diana said between breaths, "it was part of childbirth…"

"Not this early," he said. "You're only four months. I'm sure it shouldn't be hurting this bad."

Diana held her head, and Bruce could tell she was in agony. She closed her eyes tightly, and her shirt was soaked with sweat. She whined, then let out a scream. "Ahhhgh!"

Bruce took her hand and held it tightly. It hurt him immeasurably to see her in such pain. "Diana…" he said, "can you walk?"

She slowly turned her head to him, her face covered in tears. "No…" she whispered. "Not….yyyyyett… aaaagh…" She lowered her head and sobbed into the sheets. "Why does it hurt so much… ?" she moaned.

Bruce lowered his head, and tightened his grip on her hand. He had never felt pain like this before. His wife was in pain… and he could not do anything to help her.

He kissed her hand softly. They would go to the Watchtower once Diana was fit enough.

He stayed there, trying to comfort her, for a long time…

/

Batman stared at Diana, who was lying on the Watchtower medbay bed. Her breathing was still ragged, and she was still holding her stomach. "How do you feel?" he asked.

Diana sighed. "Better. The pain's almost gone."

J'onn walked upto them. "The painkillers I gave you should last the rest of the day."

Batman turned to him. "Why is she in so much pain?" he asked.

J'onn sighed, and held out his notes. "There are a number of reasons… and yet… NO reasons."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "I want something better than that…"

J'onn appeared hurt, but quickly appeared to recover. "All the reasons I've come up with… MIGHT have something to do with it. On the other hand… it might just be nature."

Diana tried to sit up, but she moaned in pain. Batman darted to her, rushing to her and steadying her. "Diana, please…" he whispered.

"Bruce… I need to know," she said. "Are the babies alright?"

J'onn went to her side. "Yes. For the moment." Diana's face fell, and J'onn appeared saddened. "They appear fine at the moment, but if you feel anymore pain… it might affect the babies as well."

Diana turned to Batman, who took her hand. A tear rolled down her face. "How… ?" she asked.

"I don't know," J'onn said. "But I have come up with a couple of reasons why you're in such pain. One, it might have something to do with the fact that your metabolisms are different. I can't be sure, but Human and Amazon DNA might not go together smoothly. That would mean that, in theory, while the pregnancy would be difficult, it's entirely possible the babies would be fine.

Diana leaned close to Batman. "Possible?" she said.

J'onn sighed. "No less than any type of pregnancy," he said.

"What's the other possibility?" Batman asked.

J'onn looked at them. "Copperhead's venom," he said.

Batman and Diana's eyes widened. "But… you found an antitoxin for that," she said.

"Yes," said J'onn. "But it took several days for you to recover completely. Plus, the conceiving of the babies happened shortly afterwards. It's possible the venom had not completely gone when the babies were conceived."

Diana put her hand to her mouth, and tears poured down her face. She leaned closer to Batman, who put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"It might mean that the venom managed to enter the womb before it died. If it did, it would have caused damage, although how much I don't know."

"What would happen?" Diana asked through sobs.

J'onn looked pained. "It could mean… you and both babies could die during delivery."

Diana's head went down, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Batman leaned close and tried to comfort her. J'onn looked saddened. "I'm sorry…" he breathed.

Batman looked at him. "Thank you, J'onn," he said. "I realise… how hard it must have been for you to tell us that…"

J'onn sighed. "Remember… there's every chance I'm wrong. It might simply be a natural, difficult pregnancy."

Batman stroked Diana's hair, as he pulled her to his chest. She wrapped an arm around his side, and buried her face in his chest.

There was silence in the room, the only sound Diana's crying…

/

Linda Park walked into her apartment after another hard day. She had been wondering for months whether to quit her job as a reporter, and today had made her think of one more reason to. She had attempted to get an exclusive interview with Bruce Wayne and his new wife, Diana, but they had declined to be seen. Bruce Wayne was always a bit aloof, but recently he had just disappeared. It was as if he was no longer on Earth. And his new bride was like a hermit: she was never seen, leading everyone to believe that she spent all her time at Wayne Manor.

Linda sighed as she hung her coat up. The Waynes were an odd couple.

Still, she was hardly in a normal relationship herself. She went into her lounge and saw the TV on the news channel. The report was about another successful mission by the Justice League. She went over to the couch and folded her arms. "Have you been here all day?" she asked.

Wally West looked over his shoulder and tilted his head. "No," he said. "I did my usual rounds. Just that they only take a few seconds."

Linda went round the couch and stood in front of him. "How long are you going to be like this?"

Wally twiddled his pencil, that he had used to do the daily crossword, in his hand. "What do you mean?"

"Look Wally," said Linda, "I don't know what they've done to upset you, but how long are you going to be angry at your teammates?"

"Until they apologise," he said.

Linda sat down next to him. "What did they do? Why are you angry at them?"

Wally sighed. "They don't trust me. They treat me like a kid. Like, there was this big secret which they all knew… and I was the last to know about it."

"So?" Linda asked.

Wally blinked. "So… they didn't trust me. They didn't respect me enough to tell me."

"How DID you find out?" Linda said.

Wally was silent, then looked away. "They… told me."

Linda smiled. "So what's the problem?"

Wally looked at her, and sighed. "The problem is… they didn't tell me straight away. Like… there was this big event… and they let us… er, me… go through the entire thing. And they like all had this secret that only they knew… and they didn't say anything. They were laughing at me."

"I doubt they were laughing at you."

Wally rested his head in his hand. "Well, no… but… they should have told me. They made me feel worthless."

Linda put her hand on his. "Look sweetie, they probably feel bad about it. You should go see them. I'm sure they'd love to see you."

Wally looked away. "I dunno…" He then turned off the TV, and turned to face her. "How was your day?"

Linda shook her head, knowing he was purposely changing the subject. "Uneventful," she said. "Oh, actually, I met someone."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "I'm in a bad enough mood as it is…"

"No, not THAT kind of met," she said, pushing him playfully. "I met this girl in town. She helped me return that perfume you got me that gave me that rash. The guy at the counter wasn't going to give me my money back, but then she came over and started giving him a right telling off. Anyway, after I got my money back, we went over to the diner and had a chat. She was really friendly."

"Cool," Wally said. "She sounds nice."

"Good," said Linda, "because she's coming over."

Wally looked confused. "Do you want me to go then?"

Linda smiled. "No, I said you'd meet her. She'll be over soon, she just had to take care of some things. She's recently moved here."

"OK," said Wally, "when will she be here?"

"Anytime now," Linda said. "Listen, I want you to be nice."

"No prob," Wally said, "I'll just be myself."

Linda sunk her shoulders. "Yeah… great."

Suddenly, the buzzer went. Linda went over to the intercom and pressed a button. "That'll be her," she said. "Now remember, just… be nice."

"No prob," Wally said, standing up. "I'll just be my…"

"GREAT," Linda interrupted. "Just… not too much, OK?"

Wally whizzed upto her. "You love me really, don't ya?"

Linda kissed him quickly. "Yes. But it's my job to get behind the surface."

Wally frowned. "Eh?"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Linda opened the door, and a beautiful brunette stood in the doorway. "Hi, Tanya," Linda said. "Wally, this is Tanya."

Wally held out his hand. "Hi."

Tanya took his hand in hers and shook it. "Hello," she said, in a heavy accent.

Linda ushered Tanya in and closed the door. "Tanya, this is Wally, my… oh, what's that word you use?"

Tanya looked at her. "Beloved."

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 4

Diana and Hawkgirl sat in the lounge, the TV on quietly in the background. Neither was really watching it: they were too busy talking.

"So no one's heard from Flash for a month?" Diana asked.

Hawkgirl shook her head. "He took it really bad. No one's heard anything from him. All we've seen is the usual amount of news reports. He's stayed in Keystone, and not even called us."

Diana sighed. "I can't believe he took it that bad."

"You know he thinks we treat him with little respect," Hawkgirl said. "He's hurt that we didn't tell him until after the event."

"Someone should call him," Diana said.

"We've tried," replied Hawkgirl. "He's not called back. John's gone over to his apartment, but Flash shoved the door in his face."

Diana rested her head in her hand. "It's a shame," she said. "If only we could tell him how much we miss him."

There was silence, except for the sound of the TV. "How are you feeling?" Hawkgirl eventually asked. "Things better?"

Diana nodded. "Yeah, I've been OK. Just the usual morning sickness. And the pain hasn't been anywhere near as bad as it was."

"That's good," said Hawkgirl. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I hope so," Diana said. "I just want to get it over with. I want these next four months to go quickly. Not knowing if everything will be OK is killing me. If anything happens, I don't know what I'd do."

Hawkgirl put her hand on Diana's shoulder. "Don't worry, you won't be alone. I'll be here, J'onn will be here, Bruce will be here…"

Diana grabbed a handful of Oreos that she had persuaded J'onn to give her and put them in her mouth. Once she had swallowed them, she looked at the packet and humphed when she saw that it was empty. "There is one thing," she said, looking up.

Hawkgirl tilted her head. "Oh?"

"I've been feeling… odd over the past few days," said Diana.

Hawkgirl frowned. "Odd?"

"Yeah. Restless, antsy, on-edge…" Diana rested her head in her hand again and put her elbow on the table, leaning forward. "It's like… I'm all keyed up to do something, but I don't know what."

Hawkgirl smiled. "So you might say, you're feeling… frustrated."

Diana looked at her. "Yeah."

Hawkgirl rested her elbows on the table and tilted her head. "When was the last time you and Bruce… you know… ?"

Diana looked puzzled. "What?"

Hawkgirl leaned forward. "You know…"

Diana looked at her absently.

Hawkgirl smacked her head. "Oh brother…"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the table. Diana and Hawkgirl turned to the doorway to see Batman. Diana smiled wide. "Hi darling."

Batman looked at her, then walked upto her. "Hello Wond… Diana."

Diana tried to stand, but Batman put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't hurt yourself," he said.

Diana put her hands on the table and pushed herself up. "Don't be silly," she said. "I'm not made of porcelain." She stood up straight and leaned closer to Batman. He immediately backed away. "What is it?" she asked.

Batman looked embarrassed, and nodded towards Hawkgirl. Diana looked at her as the Thanagarian waved playfully. "Don't mind me, you two," she said.

Diana looked at Batman. "See? She doesn't mind."

Batman looked at her. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'll feel a lot better if you kiss me," Diana said.

Batman went red. He sighed. "Just one," he whispered.

Diana smiled, and leaned closer. Their lips met, and they brushed lightly together.

Suddenly, Diana grabbed Batman's jaw and held it in place. She then pressed her lips on his, sinking into him. Batman waved his arms in shock, but Diana used her strength to hold him in place. He was not going anywhere. She kissed him passionately, pushing his head closer to hers. She moaned as she kissed him harder, never wanting to let him go.

Hawkgirl watched at the table, trying not to laugh.

Eventually, she slowly removed her lips from his. She took a deep breath, as he stared in front of him. He took a gulp and regained his breathing. He looked absently at her. "I'll… just… go talk to… the others…" he said unevenly.

Diana sighed in contentment. "OK, darling," she said.

Batman stood there for a moment, unable to move, then slowly turned around, and walked out the door.

Diana took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair. She sighed and straightened her gown. She then turned to Hawkgirl. "So why do you think I feel so wound-up?" she asked.

Hawkgirl shook her head. "Beats me," she said.

/

Diana walked into the observation deck, and looked around. She held her stomach, thankful that for once she was not in pain. Only recently had she had no discomfort, other than one would expect from pregnancy. The first few months had been excruciating. She knew pregnancy was painful, but she felt like she was being torn apart inside. J'onn's painkillers had helped, and it seemed that her body had finally gotten used to her condition.

She looked ahead of her and saw Batman standing by the window, staring at the stars. She smiled, and went upto him. She walked slowly, shuffling her feet along the floor, making as little movement as possible so she kept her balance.

"I told you not to hurt yourself," Batman said, still looking at the stars.

Diana smiled. "I'm not hurting myself," she said.

Batman turned around to face her. "I'll be the judge of that."

Diana shook her head. He was such a worrier. "I'm fine," she said. "Besides, walking does me good."

"So does staying in bed, safe," Batman said. "Which is where you should be."

"I'm not an invalid," Diana said. She knew he was only worried about her, but he could be so stubborn sometimes. "You don't have to be so worried."

Batman sighed, and delicately put his hand to her face. He stroked her cheek softly. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself," he said quietly.

Diana tilted her head into his hand, and took a deep breath. "I won't," she whispered.

Batman raised his other hand, and held her head to face him. "You better not," he said. "Because if I lost you…"

Diana held his hands. "You won't…"

Batman pulled her to him, and hugged her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her hair. "I love you so much…" he whispered.

He released her, and they looked at each other. Batman then looked at the floor, and clenched his jaw. "What is it?" she asked, growing concerned.

Batman was silent, then lifted his head and looked at her. "Next week… there's this party at Wayne Enterprises. It's to celebrate the opening of the Wayne Homeless Foundation. I… need to be there."

Diana was puzzled. "So what's wrong?" she asked.

Batman sighed. "I've been asked – or rather, told – to bring my wife."

Diana smiled. "YOU'VE been told to do something?"

Batman gave a faint smile, but it quickly faded. "I personally don't care what people think of me… but I've been told it'll be good for my image if I bring you to the event."

Diana shrugged. "OK, that's fine."

Batman appeared agitated. "I don't want you to push yourself too far."

"How many times do I have to say it?" Diana said. "I'll. Be. Fine. Really."

Batman stroked her arm. "But…"

"Bruce," she interrupted. "Stop worrying. I'll be fine."

Batman sighed. "Are you sure?"

Diana nodded. "And that's final."

Batman put her arm around her. "Fine. Now let's get you in bed."

Diana sighed. If he was this worried here, who knew what he would be like at the party?

/

"And you join us here at the party floor of Wayne Enterprises, where we're having a bash that Gotham will not soon forget! I'm Gossip Gerty, and I'm now going to go talk to the host of this shin-dig, and my close personal friend, Bruce Wayne!"

Diana watched the media with their cameras and reporters, and shook her head. She was amazed at how celebrity-orientated Man's World was. Bruce Wayne was not as big as a Hollywood actor, but he was one of the richest men in America, let alone Gotham. And his latest business venture would help millions of people.

Diana sat at the table, and looked up at her husband. He had an unusually-frightened expression on his face. She wondered at first what was the matter, but then quickly realised he was just acting. It really was amazing how convincing he could be as a nice-but-dim millionaire, even to her.

Bruce looked down at her, and smiled. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Just like I was five minutes ago."

Bruce went red, and was about to say something, when a voice called out to him. "Oh, Brucie! Brucie darling!"

Bruce looked infront of him to see Gossip Gerty approaching him. "Gerty," he said, holding out his hand. "Nice to see you."

Gerty took his hand and pulled him down slightly. She air-kissed him as Bruce stayed in position. Diana smiled. He must have done this countless times.

Gerty smiled heartily. "Brucie, it's been forever! You simply must sit down with me sometime and tell me how you are. You're a ratings winner, darling."

Bruce smiled. "I'll keep it in mind." He then turned to Diana. "Diana, this is Gossip Gerty of the Gotham Globe. Gerty, this is my wife, Diana."

Diana began to stand, but Gerty held up her hands. "Oh no, darling, you stay there and rest." She then leaned down and air-kissed her. "I say, Mrs. Wayne, you are simply radiant! When's the big day?"

Diana looked absently at Bruce. "Er…"

Bruce put up his hand. "Not long now, Gerty. Just four more months to go."

Gerty held out her arms and laughed loudly. "Oh, fabulous darling! Congratulations!" She hugged Diana enthusiastically, and Diana patted her back, unsure of what to do. Gerty pulled away. "You simply must come to my house sometime, darling!" she said. "I'd love to see the babies when they're running around!"

Diana looked at Bruce, then looked at Gerty. "I'll keep it in mind," she said.

Bruce stroked Diana's shoulder, then turned as Lucious Fox walked upto him. "Bruce, we're ready."

"Thanks, Lucious," Bruce said. He turned to Gerty. "Speech time."

Gerty gave him a thumbs-up, then went to take a seat at one of the tables. Sitting next to her was Linda Park, who was there to help report on the event. Gerty leaned over to her. "I thought you brought someone," she said.

"I did," Linda said. "My boyfriend didn't want to come, so I brought a friend of mine. But she seems to have disappeared."

Suddenly, everyone turned to the front table, as Bruce tapped his spoon against his glass. "If I may have everyone's attention," he said. "I'd like to thank you all for coming. The Wayne Homeless Foundation will help millions of homeless people, not only in Gotham, but around the country, get the fresh start they need to rebuild their lives. And we have dozens here today, to share in our celebrations." He raised his glass at a table at the front, where several ragged but smartly-dressed people sat. They raised their glasses, and there was an applause.

After the applause faded, Bruce put his glass on the table. "Furthermore…" he began.

Suddenly, the entire room shook. The tables wobbled, and glasses and plates fell at the movement, some smashing onto the floor. The lights swung on the ceiling from side to side, and there was the sound of support beams straining.

"What is it?" Commissioner James Gordon asked. "Some kind of earthquake?"

Diana felt herself slide on her chair, and tried to stand. However, she lost her balance and fell off her chair. Fortunately, Bruce caught her before she hit the floor.

Diana looked around as the whole building shook, people falling everywhere. "Bruce… what's happening?"

Bruce held her close. "I don't know. But I intend to find out."

/

There was chaos everywhere.

Diana looked around at what was happening. The entire building was shaking. The walls strained as they were pressed to their limits. The furniture was littered everywhere; the lavish decorating of the room destroyed.

She looked at Bruce. "Bruce, we have to do something!"

"You're right, I do," he said. "Come on." He held her close, and took her through the room to one of the exits. They nearly lost their footing a couple of times, as the room shook. They eventually reached the exit, and Bruce kicked the door open. He then hurried Diana out of the room into the corridor.

"Bruce, where are we going?" Diana said.

"I'm getting you out of here," he said. He went over to the door to the fire escape, and pushed the safety bar up. The door opened, and he grabbed Diana and directed her into the fire escape.

They hurried up the staircase. "The roof is only a couple of floors up," Bruce said.

Diana was confused. "Bruce, where are we going? We need to help those people."

"I will," he said. "As soon as you're safe." They reached the top and Bruce kicked the door open. They went out of the fire escape onto the roof. Bruce looked up, and Diana followed his gaze.

The Batwing was in the distance, flying towards the building. "As soon as the rumbling started, I activated the 'Wing's remote tracking," Bruce said. It'll be here in a few minutes, and I'm putting you on it. It'll then take you back to the cave."

Diana looked around the skyline. The entire city was shaking. "Bruce… it's an earthquake…"

Bruce looked at his city, as it rumbled and threatened to collapse. "It's alright," he said. "This building is quakeproof. I'll take care of things once you're safe."

"No," Diana said. "Go now. I'll wait here for the plane."

Bruce looked at her. "Promise you'll wait for it."

"Yes," she said. "And you."

"No," he said. "Once you're in the jet, I want you to go. Promise me."

Diana sighed. She did not want to leave the man she loved, but knew that she had little choice in the matter. "Fine," she said.

Bruce lightly touched her stomach, and she put her hand over his. They stared at eachother, then leaned close to eachother. They kissed passionately, not wanting to say goodbye. They eventually tore their lips apart, and Bruce stroked her cheek. He then clenched his jaw, and turned around. He ran to the fire escape, and disappeared down the staircase, closing the door behind him.

Diana stared at the fire escape. A tear fell down her face. She hoped she had not seen the last of the man she loved, her husband, the father of her unborn children.

She turned away from the fire escape, and looked at the surrounding buildings. Some were leaning sideways, threatening to fall. The rooftop lurched as the ground below shifted violently. Diana had to struggle to keep her balance. Her glasses – which she wore to disguise herself – fell off and smashed onto the floor. She looked out over the horizon. The Batwing was still a few minutes away.

As the night wind blew around her, Diana knelt down to stop from shaking with the building. She waited impatiently for the plane to arrive.

Suddenly, she was hit in the arm by a laser. She screamed in pain, and fell hard on her side. She held her arm with one hand, and her stomach with the other. Her stomach began to hurt again as the stress of the situation increased.

She looked in the direction of the laser, and saw a figure standing by the fire escape.

"Who are you?" Diana asked.

A brunette woman stepped out of the shadow of the fire escape, pointing a gun at Diana. "You took my Beloved. I want you to know that."

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 5

Diana looked up at the brunette standing over her, pointing a gun. Her mind was running a mile a minute. The city was in the middle of an earthquake. Her stomach was in pain as the stress of the situation had gotten too much. And she had been shot by a laser in the arm.

She looked at the woman. Something about her seemed familiar. And she had referred to a Beloved.

Diana managed to get to her knees. "You're Talia, aren't you?" she said.

The woman took a step towards her. "He told you about me. I suppose you should know. A woman should know who she's in competition with."

Diana shook her head. "Are you serious? From what I've heard, you had your chance with Bruce… SEVERAL times. And you blew it every time."

Talia took another step closer, her calm expression turning to anger. "No. HE did. If he had agreed to join my father, he would have been mine."

"That's not much of an argument," Diana said.

Talia put her other hand to the handle of the gun, holding it in both hands. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! You took my Beloved, and now you're going to die!"

Diana was about to speak, but winced when the pain in her stomach increased. She bent over, gritting her teeth. She looked at Talia from the corner of her eye. "Would you really do this?" she asked.

Talia was silent, then frowned. "What?"

"Kill a pregnant woman?" said Diana.

Talia tilted her head. "What do you think?" She then fired again, hitting Diana in the shoulder.

"Arrrrgh!" Diana fell onto her side, her vision going blurry. Her arm, shoulder and stomach were in agony. She was on a rooftop of a building shaking from an earthquake, with a woman who intended to kill her.

She only had one chance.

Her broken glasses were a foot away from her. For what she had planned, she would usually have no problem doing it fast enough. Now, in her state, she would be lucky not to be shot before she made a move.

Suddenly, there was another tremor, and the roof shook violently. Talia lost her balance and backed away as she tried to keep from falling.

Taking her chance, Diana grabbed her glasses, and threw them as hard as she could.

Talia turned around, and the glasses hit her in the face. The shards of broken glass cut her nose, and she dropped the gun and held her face as blood trickled down it.

Diana crawled as fast as she could to the edge of the roof, and turned around. Talia knelt down and picked up her gun. "Say goodbye, Princess," she said.

Suddenly, Diana threw herself over the edge of the roof. She fell down a couple of floors, then grabbed a windowsill. She hit the side of the wall with her side, and screamed. She was in agony, but she had to get out of there.

She concentrated as hard as she could, and let go of the windowsill. She stayed in the air, taking her first flight for four months. It took everything she had.

Unfortunately, she had no strength left. She tried to move, but the stress was too much. After a few moments, she began to sink, losing the energy to keep herself aloft.

She could feel herself getting weaker. She was going to die. Her unborn children were going to die. She would never see the man she loved again.

She began to fall faster and faster…

However, before she lost all strength, a green bubble formed around her. She was suddenly aloft again, steady. She looked up and smiled, her breathing slowing down. "John… thank Hera…"

Lantern looked down at her. "It's alright, Diana," he said. "I've got you."

Diana sighed as she leaned against the edge of the bubble. She just hoped Bruce was alright…

/

Batman kicked the door open, and ran out into the corridor. There were still people running through the building, trying to escape. They were screaming, crying, desperately trying to get to safety.

Batman pushed his way through the crowd. He had changed while running down the fire escape, throwing his tuxedo out of a window. Now he had to make his way through the crowd, to the building's tannoy system.

As he tried to weave his way through the people, Batman's mind wandered. Several things were running through his mind. His city was apparently having an earthquake, but he was certain there was something unnatural about it. About a year ago, he had asked Clark to investigate the state of the Earth's plates. It would never give them time to stop one, but they would have a rough idea when an earthquake would occur.

And with what Clark had found, an earthquake was not expected for several years.

But that was not the only thing on his mind, of course. He had left Diana. He had LEFT Diana. The Batwing was on its way there, and she was safer on the roof than amongst these people… but he LEFT her. He hated himself for that. He left his pregnant wife in the middle of a disaster. And even though he knew she would understand, he was still angry at himself. She would say she knows the responsibilities of duty…

But was his responsibilities the right ones?

Batman was making his way through the crowd slowly, but if he did not do something fast, someone would end up hurt. He had to get to the building's control systems, and the best way to do that was through his office.

Batman ran past a store cabinet, and opened it. He went into the small room and closed the door behind him. He then opened a compartment in his utility belt and removed a small rectangular remote control. He turned it on and pressed a few buttons.

With seconds, he had accessed his office computer. He then opened the security systems and activated the mass lockdown.

In the entire building, every door leading to the outside locked shut. People slammed into the doors as they stayed rigid when they ran into them, expecting them to open.

Batman then accessed his tannoy system. He turned on the PA and spoke through a microphone on the remote control.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Bruce Wayne. Please remain calm. This building is quakeproof, and will stay standing no matter what. You are safer in here than outside, where other buildings are not built to withstand earthquakes. Please remain calm and wait for the emergency services to get here."

He turned off the PA system and sighed. He could hear the panicked people on other levels quieting, calming down.

But he had no time to rest. He had to get out of the building, and help the millions of other people in the city. He had a duty.

And as much as he hated it, it was not primarily to his wife…

/

Batman entered the lounge, and looked around. The room was nearly empty. It was unusual for the Watchtower to be so empty, but over the past couple of weeks, hardly anyone had been there. Not that he would know first-hand; Batman had not stepped foot on the satellite for a month.

His city was in ruins. It had been ravaged by a massive earthquake. No building had been left untouched. Streets had been destroyed. Homes obliterated. Buildings ruined. The people of the city were scared, homeless. Almost a quarter of the population had been killed. He had spend every waking moment of the past month trying to find survivors, trying to regain a sense of order in the remains of a city that was already suffering.

And he would return there soon, where he was needed. He was only at the Watchtower now for one reason.

He saw Hawkgirl sitting at a table and walked upto her. "Hello, Hawkgirl," he said.

Hawkgirl looked up from her book and smiled. "Hey Batman. Been awhile."

Batman looked around. "Yes," he said. "Is anyone else here?"

Hawkgirl closed her book and sat up. "Superman is in Metropolis. J'onn, as you probably know, is in Gotham helping with the clean-up. GL is on some mission for the Corps. And Flash is in Keystone."

"So he's still distancing himself from the League?" Batman asked.

"Yeah," Hawkgirl said. "Apart from the help he gave a couple of weeks ago in Gotham, he's kept to himself. He's still mad at us."

"That's his problem," said Batman. "Is Diana here?"

"Yeah, she's in her… I mean, YOUR room," Hawkgirl replied. "As per your instructions, I haven't let her out of the room."

Batman went towards the door. "Good. Thank you."

Hawkgirl smiled. "My pleasure. But Batman?"

Batman stopped at the door, and looked over his shoulder.

"She can take care of herself," Hawkgirl said. "You don't have to check up on her."

Batman stood there, then left the room.

He went down the corridor, and stopped at his door. He turned the handle slowly and opened the door.

Diana was standing at the window, staring at the stars. She turned around and looked at him. "There you are," she said, smiling.

Batman went into the room and closed the door behind him. "What are you doing up?"

Diana walked away from the window and shook her head. "Bruce, stop worrying. I need the exercise."

"What you need," Batman said, striding upto her, "is to stay in bed. You can hurt yourself."

Diana sighed. "Oh Hera, Bruce. A little walk won't do me any harm."

Batman held her shoulders. "But the pain's been getting worse, hasn't it?"

Diana looked away. "Well, yes, but…"

"There you go," Batman said. "Now get into bed."

Diana pouted. "Bruce, come on…" She suddenly stopped, and closed her eyes. She gritted her teeth, and let out a painful gasp.

Batman held her close, and he stroked her hair. He sighed as the pain attack increased, her breathing become sharp and her body shaking. She let out a small groan, and Batman's heart ached. It hurt him immensely when she was in pain. The pain attacks had become more frequent, and Batman had insisted on Diana staying at the Watchtower so J'onn could keep track of her progress.

"Bruce…" Diana whispered. "I'm scared…"

Batman looked at her. "It'll be OK. We'll get through this. Everyone will be here for you."

"You'll be with me, won't you?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Of course. When the time comes, there's nothing on Earth that could keep me from your side."

They leaned close to eachother, and kissed tenderly. The kiss ended when Diana winced in pain. Batman put his arm around her and moved her towards the bed. "Lie down," he said. He took her to the side of the bed, and lowered her down slowly. She sat down on the mattress, then eased her legs up until she was lying down. She sighed as she rested her head on the pillow.

"How many times has this happened today?" Batman asked.

"I'm fine…" Diana said.

"How many?" he repeated, slightly more sternly.

Diana sighed. "This is the fourth one."

Batman lowered his head. And she called him stubborn. "Why haven't you told J'onn?" he asked, lifting his head.

"He said I was going to have pain," she said. "I don't want to trouble him…"

Batman stroked her cheek. "Listen Diana. I'll stay here for a couple of hours, then I have to go back to Gotham. I'll tell J'onn to come back. Now, if you feel anymore pain, I want you to promise me that you'll tell him."

"Bruce, he said I'd feel pain," Diana said. "There's not much he'd be able…"

"Promise me," Batman interrupted.

Diana was silent, then tilted her head. "Fine. You'll stay here, though, right?"

Batman took her hand, and lifted it to his face. He kissed it gently. "You'll have to beat me back with a stick."

"Trust me," she said, smiling. "I don't need a stick." She sighed and took his other hand in hers, putting it to her chest. "You know what I love about you?" she said.

Batman smiled. "It's the car, right? Chicks love the car."

Diana giggled. "Not just that. No, it's that, eventhough you act all cold and distant, you're actually the most caring person I know. You're warm, you're kind, you're loving, you're sweet… and you're cute when you're angry."

Batman blushed. "That's not the intention I want," he said.

"I'm afraid that's the reaction you get," she said. "But maybe it's just with me."

Batman decided to change the subject. "Is there anything you want to do? Do you want me to get Hawkgirl so you can have a talk?"

"How would you get her to come in here?" Diana asked.

"I'd tell her to," he said.

"Just like that?"

"I can be very persuasive."

"Speaking of which, my lasso is still in the house," Diana said.

Batman's cheeks went redder. "I'll… bring it with me next time I come here. So what do you want to do?"

Diana sighed. "Right now, I want to spend some time with my husband. Just stay with me."

Batman pulled back his mask, and sat further on the bed. "Fine. By the way, I was in the kitchen earlier…" He opened a compartment on his belt, and removed a small packet of Oreos.

Diana's smiled. "Ooooh thank you! Now I love you even more!"

Bruce handed her the packet. "Now don't eat them all at once," he said. "And don't tell J'onn."

/

Everyone was crowded in the Editor's office, as another meeting was taking place. Clark stood next to Lois, and watched as Jimmy Olsen walked past with a cup of coffee in his hand. "There you go, chief," he said, putting it on the desk at the back of the room.

"Don't call me chief," Perry White said. Jimmy sighed and went to join the other reporters, standing next to Clark. "Now," Perry said. "I want stories, people. What have you got?"

Lois, as always, was the first to speak. "I've got an interview with Oliver Queen tomorrow. I'm going to ask him everything he knows about everything."

"Good," said Perry. "Just be careful, Lois. Apparently that Queen guy is quite the ladies' man."

Lois smiled. "I think I can handle it."

"OK. What else, people?" Perry asked.

Clark tentatively raised his hand. "Uh, Perry?"

Perry looked at him. "Yes, Kent?"

Clark pushed his glasses closer to his face, then flicked the paper on his clipboard about. "I've got a follow-up story about the Gotham earthquake," he said. "A Dr. Leslie Thompkins has been handling the medical care of the injured, and I'm going to go over there and ask her about her work. Get the word about."

"Think you'll be alright in that town, Kent?" Perry asked. "Apparently they're all a bunch of nutjobs."

Clark smiled, and looked at Lois. "I think I can handle it." He turned back to Perry, as the editor began to talk again…

However, something caught Clark's attention.

He sensed a disturbance in the air… a shifting. Time stood still, as he could feel the minute shaking of the ground.

Suddenly, the entire room shook. People staggered around, and files on the wall fell to the floor. Paperweights and pens slid off the table, and plaques containing past front covers fell off the walls and smashed to the ground.

Clark held Lois steady as everyone else fell to the floor. A sudden sharp shift in the ground then sent them down too, and Clark hit his head on the floor. As he lifted his head up, there was a crater where his skull had hit the floor.

He looked around, and saw that the entire building was shaking. With his x-ray vision and superhearing, he saw everyone running around, falling to the floor. Shelves, computers and equipment were falling and smashing everywhere.

And it was not just the Daily Planet building. Clark could see and hear the surrounding buildings in the same predicament, as the entire block was in turmoil.

He looked at Lois. "Lois, I have to…"

"I know," she interrupted. "Be careful."

Clark then crawled along the floor until he reached a window. As the entire room was in chaos, he stood up and waited by the window. Then, there was another sudden jerk, and Clark flew threw the air, falling out the window.

He fell down the building's stories, knowing everyone would think he had been thrown out of the window by the shaking. In reality, he had waited until there was another shift, so he could leap out of the window.

Within seconds, he had changed into his costume, and Superman flew back up the side of the building, scanning the insides of the floors as he went.

Everyone was running in fear, trying to find some safety. He looked down and could see people in the streets, also running, screaming. He had to do something, but he had not faced anything like this before.

He flew upto the heavens, and looked over the entire city. It was as he feared: all of Metropolis was shaking apart.

He heard creaking below him, and looked down to see the giant glove atop the Daily Planet sliding down. It had been shaken loose of it's foundations, and was about to fall to the crowded street below.

By the time Superman had reached the roof, the globe was already teetering. Just before it fell off the edge, he grabbed the ring and dug his fingers in. The globe stopped, and he began to slowly pull it back to the middle of the roof.

Suddenly, there was another tremor, and Superman lost his footing. The globe began to fall again, taking him with it. Before he could do anything, the globe was off the roof and plummeting to the ground below.

Superman dug his fingers deeper into the ring and began to pull with all his strength. As he and the globe passed the stories, he gritted his teeth and strained. He willed his body to stay aloft as much as he could, but the ground got closer and closer…

Eventually, they began to slow. Superman gave one last massive pull, and the globe began to rip apart in his hands.

Fortunately, they had slowed down enough that, by the time they hit the ground, they merely landed softly on the pavement. Superman eased the planet down, until it rested on it's side on the ground.

He then looked up, and saw the buildings around him shaking violently. He took to the air again, determined to save his city from falling apart…

/

The entire Justice League sat in the meeting room. Tensions were high. All of them had been affected by the reason they were there. And they were all tired from reacting to the reason.

Superman stood at the head of the table. "OK, people," he said. "I think we all know why we're here. Four earthquakes in two months. Gotham. Metropolis. Keystone. Central. We need to decide what to do."

"Emergency services are stretched to the limit," Batman said. "The government have asked for help from abroad, but it's a difficult situation. It's not easy transferring services from one country, especially as that country might need it itself."

"I've asked help from the Corps," said Lantern. "But they can't just drop everything for us."

"It's amazing," Flash said. "How can there by four earthquakes in such a short time?"

"There's no way they're natural disasters," Superman said. "When I inspected the Earth's plates, there was no evidence that an earthquake would occur at any of those cities for some time."

"There's only one rational reason," Batman said.

Everyone looked at him.

"Ra's Al Ghul," he said.

Superman put his hand to his chin. "He's the only person, apart from Luthor, who'd be able to cause such a thing."

"And it would explain why Talia was in Gotham the night of its quake," Diana said.

"We need to pay Al Ghul a visit," said Batman. "And stop him before he does anymore damage."

"Let's go then," Lantern said, his ring glowing with power.

"No," Batman said. "We need a plan. Plus…" he looked at Diana. "Not all of us can go."

Diana looked at him. "This is more important," she said. "You need to be there."

"I will stay with Diana," J'onn said. "As she's now seven months pregnant, it's a critical time."

Batman sighed, and put a hand on Diana's shoulder. She smiled at him. "I'll be OK…"

"Why don't we call some extra help on this?" Superman said.

"Agreed," said Batman. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"OK," said Superman. "Batman, you work on a plan while we contact everyone we can think of."

Batman smiled. "I already have a plan."

Superman sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

__5\. At the start of this story, Zatanna and the Catwoman are in the same room together... and NOTHING happens. Readers of my other stories will know how unusual that is.__

* * *

PART 6

It was like a force.

There were over twenty people in the Hangerbay. The seven Justice Leaguers. Plus many more, called in to help in this situation. Nightwing. Robin. Batgirl. Supergirl. The Atom. Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel Jr. Mary Marvel. Green Arrow. Speedy. Etrigan. Aquaman. Black Canary. The original Flash. Zatanna. The Blue Beetle. Mr. Miracle. Big Barda. Catwoman. Metamorpho.

Superman looked at the gathering. "Thank you all for coming," he said. "It's going to take every one of us to save Earth. Now I trust you've all been briefed on Batman's plan. I believe that if we all work together, there's nothing that can stop us."

Flash went upto him. "Enough pep talk, let's go."

The heroes began to board the Javalin-7, while Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl entered the Batwing, which had been modified to hold more people. The seven Justice Leaguers waited, watching their army prepare for battle.

"Are you sure I shouldn't be going with you?" Hawkgirl asked.

"Yes," Batman replied flatly. "Diana might need you."

"But J'onn's here…"

Batman glared at her, and Hawkgirl fell silent.

Superman looked at J'onn. "J'onn, we'll call you if we need any help. But your first priority is to Diana."

"I shall be here for her," J'onn said. "And you."

Lantern and Hawkgirl hugged, holding eachother close. They looked at eachother. "Be careful," she said.

"I will," he replied. "I'll be thinking of you all the time. That's all the strength I need to survive."

They kissed passionately, not wanting to let eachother go. They eventually separated their lips, and tore themselves from eachother. Lantern went towards the Javalin ramp.

Batman went upto Diana, who was visibly having difficulty standing. She was seven months pregnant; she could very well give birth at any moment. She should have been resting, but she insisted on seeing the group leave.

He smiled faintly at her. "I…"

She smiled. "I know. I'll be OK. Just please… be careful."

Batman leaned closer to her, then stopped. He looked around uncomfortably, aware that there were people around. "I can't…" he breathed.

A tear ran down Diana's face. "It's OK… go."

He looked at her, his reason for being. He loved her more than anything. If he made it out of here… if she was alright when it was all over… he would make some changes.

He began to turn around slowly, angry that he could not say goodbye to the woman he loved. He might never see her again. But he could not… not with all these people here…

He…

To hell with his image. He turned back around quickly, and took Diana's head in his hands. He forced his lips on hers, kissing her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they held eachother tightly. Time stood still, yet went by so fast, eventually ending the kiss. They looked at eachother, fearful that they would never see eachother again.

Superman put a hand on Batman's shoulder. "Batman… we have to go."

Batman looked down, and looked at Diana's stomach.

He would make some changes…

He let Diana go, and stepped away. He looked at Superman, as professional as he could. "Let's go," he said quickly.

The League boarded the ships. The hangerbay doors opened. The ships flew out into space. J'onn, Diana and Hawkgirl watched them silently disappear into the distance.

Just like that, they were all gone.

/

The Batwing flew through the air, closely followed by the Javelin-7. Batman was leading the way, as he knew the whereabouts of Ra's Al Ghul's base of operations.

Inside the Batwing, there was silence. The cockpit – which had been extended to hold four people – was quiet, the only sound the regular control sounds. Batman sat at the front, effortlessly navigating the jet through the clouds. Robin sat behind him, and Nightwing and Batgirl sat at the back, in the new two seats, which were side-by-side.

Batgirl nudged Nightwing in the side, and he looked at her. He shook his head, a worried expression on his face. "Ask him," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

"Ask who what?" Batman said.

Nightwing sighed. "We were just wondering… why you're here."

Batman frowned. "What?"

Nightwing shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "It's just… with Diana pregnant and all…"

Batman knew this would come up. "Yes…"

Nightwing looked at Batgirl. She shook her head. "What we mean is," she said, "what are you doing here when your wife is about to give birth?"

"She has another two months before the due date," Batman said. "And J'onn and Hawkgirl are with her…"

"You know Diana's had a difficult pregnancy," Batgirl said. "She could give birth at any time. You should be with her."

Batman was losing his patience. "I'm needed here."

Batgirl folded her arms. "You're needed there."

Batman sighed. "What would you like me to do then? Turn around? Sacrifice the fate of the world on the slim chance Diana will go into labour soon?"

"I don't mean it like that," said Batgirl. "But we can do this without you."

Batman tilted his head. "Pardon?"

Robin held his head. "Oboy…"

Nightwing lowered his head. "You're telling me…"

"Your wife needs you, Bruce," Batgirl said. "You already told us your plan. Dick's had experience with Ra's…"

"Don't bring me into this…" Nightwing murmured.

"And in case you've forgotten, we have the world's greatest heroes with us," Batgirl continued. "We can do this without you."

"I know Ra's better than anyone," Batman said. "I need to be here."

"What, don't you think we can do this without you?" said Batgirl.

"Drop it," said Batman.

"Oh, so now that you don't want to talk about it, we can't?" Batgirl said.

Batman remained silent.

"Oh, so now you're going to ignore me?"

Silence.

"Man, Bruce, you can be such a child sometimes!" Batgirl sat back in her chair and humphed.

Batman kept his gaze ahead of him… but wondered if Batgirl was right.

Did he have to be there?

Or was he just running away?

/

"So, how are you feeling?"

Diana sat back in the chair, as Hawkgirl put the tray of Oreos on the table. "Worried," she said. "I hope everything goes OK."

Hawkgirl sat down on the coach. "I'm sure they will. They have the world's greatest heroes. What's Al Ghul got? A few bald guys with swords."

"Maybe," Diana said. "But I'm still worried. Ra's has the power to cause earthquakes. Imagine what he could do to the guys."

Hawkgirl sighed. "Don't worry, they'll be fine. Have an Oreo."

Diana leaned forward to get a cookie, but she could barely move a foot forward before her stomach pained. She winced, and held her stomach. Hawkgirl reached over and picked up a cookie. "Here," she said.

Diana took one, and took a bite. "I just hope they come back alright," she said after swallowing. "If I lose Bruce now…"

Hawkgirl put a hand on Diana's knee. "You won't. He won't die, because if he does, I'll kill him." She smiled faintly.

Diana returned the smile, then sat back. "I'm sorry, Shayera. Here I am moaning, and YOUR husband is with them."

Hawkgirl rested her head in her hand, and her elbow on the arm of the coach. "Oh, it's OK. I'm not worried. I'm more angry."

Diana frowned. "Angry?"

Hawkgirl tilted her head. "Yeah. Why do they have all the fun? I wouldn't mind introducing Al Ghul to my mace. But no – the boys have to be all macho and insist on doing it all. Aren't you angry?"

"I've learnt a lot about men during my time away from my island," said Diana. "They're just as capable as women to do what is right. That, and when they make a decision, they won't change it."

Hawkgirl laughed. "Too true. But aren't you angry for a different reason?"

Diana looked puzzled. "What reason would that be?"

"He said he wouldn't leave you," Hawkgirl said. "You're seven months pregnant. You could give birth at any moment."

"But I still have two months to go…"

"Remember what J'onn said," Hawkgirl said. "Things could be different with Human and Amazon breeding. Anything could happen."

Diana looked at the ceiling. "He said he'd be here when the time comes. He won't miss it."

Hawkgirl leaned closer. "But aren't you just a little angry?"

Diana was silent. "Well…" she eventually said. "A bit. I mean… I'm pregnant… and I've been in pain… and… I've had morning sickness… and I've been locked away either here or in the house for ages… and… I've been dizzy… and I've been in pain… and I… and I need him… and he just goes…"

Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow. "And you've had mood swings, I take it…"

Diana held her plate of Oreos. "I mean… he just GOES… leaves me when I need him the most…"

Hawkgirl leaned back. "OK, easy…"

Diana picked the plate up, and held it tightly. "I mean, I love him and he loves me and he says he won't leave me and then he just leaves and he might not come back and I need him and I love him so much but he left me here when I need him the most and I don't know if I'll ever see him again and if I lose him I don't know what I'll do but I want to kill him for leaving me but I love him and he loves me and we're going to be a family but he might die and he should be here with me but he's not and I need him and I can't live without him and if he died I don't know what I'd do but he shouldn't be there because he should be with me and I'm so worried and I don't want to lose him but he's off in some desert when he should be with me and his children and I need him so much and I can't do this without him and I love him so much and he's not here and I need him and, and… and… IT'S JUST SO TYPICAL OF MEN!"

She threw the plate in the air, and it smashed into pieces on the wall, the remaining cookies falling to the floor.

Diana breathed heavy in her chair, her hormones at boiling point. She was about to speak, when she went still. He eyes opened wide, and she held her stomach.

Hawkgirl looked at her. "What?"

Diana's lip began to tremble. "I felt a contraction. I… ah… think I'm… ow. I… ahhhhhhh…" She closed her eyes, and began to breath heavily.

Hawkgirl shot up. "You're kidding… you're kidding, right?"

Diana looked at her. "Oh Hera…"

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Chapter 7

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

__5\. I get my medical terms confused in this. I mention "inches" when I mean "centremetres". You'll recognise the mistake when you see it. Apologies.__

* * *

PART 7

The man paced back and forth, the hot wind blowing around him.

He had been standing in the desert for over an hour, all because he questioned the master. He asked if all the destruction of the world was really necessary. All he wanted was a peaceful life… and you could not get more peaceful than desert country.

But the master had punished him. Sent him to the hot outside, ordering him not to return for a day… and in that time, think about the righteousness of their cause.

He was pacing near a small crater in the sand, which had a few plants less than a foot high. They were rare in the desert, but they contained toxins powerful enough to kill a full-grown person.

He paced towards the edge of the crater, not really paying attention. He shuffled his feet along the sand, holding the already-half-empty bottle of water in his hands.

He stopped pacing, and looked at the sky, his back to the crater.

A black gloved hand slowly emerged from the crater and moved towards the man.

The hand grabbed the scruff of the man's jacket, and pulled him sharply into the crater.

The man fell in a heap on the sanded ground. He was disorientated, but had no time to get his bearings, as the hand grabbed his collar and yanked him to his feet.

Batman held the man infront of him. "Where?" he growled.

The man looked at him, and babbled. He eventually began to calm down, and said, "Two miles… east."

"Thanks." Batman then gave him a quick, hard jab to the shoulder. He let go of him, and the man slumped to the ground, out cold.

"Was that necessary?" Superman asked, walking upto Batman. The other heroes were around them in the crater, waiting to attack.

"Would you prefer him going back to Ra's and warning him?" Batman asked. He walked away and climbed out of the crater. He began to walk in the direction the man had given.

Superman and the other heroes climbed out of the crater, and followed Batman. Superman hurried to his side. "Do you expect us to walk two miles through the desert?"

Batman kept his gaze on the horizon. "I thought you were invulnerable."

Superman sighed. "We have the Javelin and the Batwing just a few hundred yards away. It would be quicker to get there in those."

"Ra's will be able to detect them," Batman said. "He won't expect a ground attack."

"And while we're taking care of Ra's' forces…" Superman said.

"I'll be infiltrating his hideout, trying to find out how he's causing the earthquakes," said Batman. "It's bound to be some kind of machine. Either I'll disable it, or you or one of you other colourful punchers can destroy it. The trick will be getting by his defences. He's sure to expect some type of response from us after what…"

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise. Batman stopped walking and opened a compartment on his utility belt. He pulled out his Justice League communicator. "It's J'onn," he said. He activated the device and held it up. "J'onn, Batman here. We're nearing Ra's' hideout now, and…"

He stopped, and listened to the other end of the line. His eyes widened. "Oh no…"

/

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGH!"

Diana screamed in agony, as she lay on the medbay bed. She felt like she was being torn apart from inside.

J'onn stood at the end of the bed, removing items from the medkit. Hawkgirl stood by Diana's side, holding her hand. Diana looked up, the pain momentarily fading between contractions. "J'onn…" she whined. "Have you called him…?"

"Yes," J'onn simply said.

Diana's eyes began to water. "Is he coming? Tell me he's… aaaaahhhhhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!"

J'onn looked pained. "He… didn't say."

Diana held her head. Sweat was pouring off her body. "I can't do this without… without… aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…"

Hawkgirl leaned close. "J'onn, can't you do something for the pain?"

"No," J'onn said. "I need to see how far she's gone…"

"My water spilt…" gasped Diana.

"Broke, Diana," Hawkgirl said. "You're water BROKE."

J'onn lowered his head, and inspected her progress. He frowned. "Only five inches," he said. "You're not ready yet."

Diana's lip began to tremble. "I can't stop… the contractions are… are… gettinnnnnng….EEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" She screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.

Hawkgirl threw her mask off. "J'onn, please, there must be something…!"

"I don't know!" he said. "I'm… afraid to do anything…"

"J'onn…" Diana whimpered. "Call Bruce again… please… I can't do this without him… I can't… hhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnneeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAARGH!"

Shayera held Diana's hand in hers, and rested her elbows on the mattress. J'onn looked at them, his worry evident on his face. "I'm sorry, Diana. I can't leave you and call him again. You might be ready at any moment…"

Diana sat up quickly, and looked at J'onn. "IF YOU DON'T CALL MY HUSBAND RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO POUND YOUR FACE IN!"

J'onn blinked. He then quietly reached for the communications button.

Diana closed her eyes, tears pouring down from them. She needed Bruce now… she could not do this without him…

She winced, as another contraction began…

/

Lantern watched Superman and Batman walking ahead of everyone else. They were obviously talking about strategy. Lantern found it strange that they were going to Ra's Al Ghul's hideout on land, but Batman had insisted that Al Ghul would detect the Batwing and Javelin.

Lantern looked next to him to see Flash walking a few feet away. He changed his direction so that he began walking next to him. "Hi," he said.

Flash looked at him, then turned back ahead of him.

"Come on, man, you still can't be angry," Lantern said. "It's been months."

"Why would I be angry?" Flash asked rhetorically.

Lantern sighed. "Look, I know you think we were laughing at you, but we weren't. We just never got round to telling you."

"You could have told me before," Flash said. "You made me feel like a right idiot, you lot did."

"I'm sorry, man," Lantern said. "But we didn't mean it. It just transpired that you were told after the wedding."

"Just save it," Flash said, holding up his hand. "You made it perfectly clear how much I mean to you lot."

Lantern held his head. He wanted to shake Flash by the collar, shout that they never meant to hurt him, but now was not the time. But if they did not survive this, he would never get a chance to tell Flash how important he was to the team.

"Look, just come to the Watchtower sometime," said Lantern. "We can have a talk, get everything out. Everyone misses you, Flash. It's not the same without y…"

"Look, don't you think we have more important things to do?" Flash interrupted. "We're about to take one the most dangerous man on the planet. We haven't got time to mend bridges." With that, Flash walked off.

Lantern watched him go. He had to admit, he was surprised. He never thought Flash would be so serious. But he had a point. Now was NOT the time. They DID have more important things to do.

Lantern saw Superman and Batman had stopped walking ahead of them, and Batman was talking to someone on his communicator. He went upto them. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know," Superman said. Batman switched off his communicator and lowered it down. His face was uncharacteristically flustered. "What's wrong?" asked Superman.

Batman was silent, and took a deep breath. "It's Diana," he eventually said. "She's… gone into labour."

Lantern and Superman's eyes widened. "What are you going to do?" Superman asked.

"I… don't know," Batman stuttered.

Superman put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take you back. We can do this without you."

Lantern watched, and thought about the situation. Flash's words then ran through his head. "No," he said.

Superman and Batman looked at him. "What…?" Superman said.

"I'm sorry, Batman," said Lantern. "But this is more important. We need you here."

Batman looked at him. "Diana… needs me…"

"And is she worth sacrificing the people all over the world?" Lantern asked. "You have a duty to mankind. Prioritise, man!"

Batman was silent. They stared at eachother, until Batman broke the silence. "You're right," he said.

Superman looked at him. "What…?"

Batman put his communicator back in his utility belt, and began to walk off. "We'll carry on until night, rest up, and strike tomorrow."

Lantern looked at Superman. The Man of Steel gave him an angry look. But he was right. This was more important.

Was it?

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Chapter 8

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

__5\. As noted above, it's at this point things get pretty bloody contrived. Argh - what was I thinking?! You have time, Bruce!__

* * *

PART 8

"IS HE HERE YET?"

J'onn looked up. Diana was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down her. She looked at him, her face pained and desperate. "I'm sorry," J'onn said. "I called again, but…"

"JUST TELL ME!" Diana interrupted.

J'onn sunk his shoulders. "Superman answered the call. Batman's… not coming."

Diana was flabbergasted. "What? How can he… he… eeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Shayera closed her eyes as Diana screamed in agony. "J'onn, how can he not be coming?"

"I don't know," said J'onn. "He didn't give a reason, but he sounded angry."

"He should be!" Shayera shouted. "How can Batman do this?"

"I'm sure he has a good reason…" said J'onn.

"WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD HE HAVE FOR NOT BEING HERE?" Shayera yelled. "I tell you, if he doesn't get his butt back here, I'm gonna stick my mace…!"

Shayera was interrupted as Diana let out another loud scream, as her contractions continued. "J'onn… I can't do this…"

"How much longer?" asked Shayera.

J'onn shook his head. "We have a long way to go," he said.

Diana's body shook. Tears were running down her face. "I can't do this without him…" she wept. "I need him…. J'onn… please… call him again… I need him here… I… I… oh no, here comes another one…" She leaned forward, and winced. "EeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Diana's screams echoed off the walls. As the pain increased, she clenched her hands hard.

The one Shayera was holding wrapped itself around her own hand. Her eye's widened. "Ow ow ow ow Diana my hand my hand my hand my hand my hand my hand my hand my hand my hand…" Her fingers began to crack.

The contracted faded, and Diana relaxed. Shayera pulled her hand free and held it. "I think it's broken…" she said.

"Let me look," J'onn said. He took Shayera's hand and inspected it. "Yes, it's broken. I'll get you an Instant Cast."

Diana looked over. She was about to apologise, when another contraction began. The pain was unbearable, magnified by the man she loved not being there.

She prayed he would change his mind and be to her side, where she needed him…

/

It had been hours since J'onn had called. But to Batman, it might as well have been minutes.

He stood at the top of a sandy hill, looking at the sky. How could this have happened? Diana was still two months away from the due date. Was the breeding of Human and Amazon DNA that different to cause such a premature labour?

He sighed. He wondered why he was there, in the desert, instead of by his wife's side, where he was needed, and where he desperately wanted to be. But he was needed here: without him, defeating Ra's Al Ghul would be more difficult for the other heroes. No one knew Ra's as well as him. And he was the best one to figure out Ra's technology, and discover how he was causing the earthquakes that were happening worldwide.

He had spent the last couple of hours going over strategy with the rest of the heroes. He had remained professional and unemotional, but inside he was anything but. All he could think about was Diana. The thought of her in pain, and he not being able to help her through it, was unbearable. But Lantern was right. He was needed here. This was more important.

He looked down at the communicator in his hand. He stared at it, unsure whether to turn it on or not. Knowing Diana's progress might only make him feel worse. He would not be able to do anything. He had to remain here. He had to lead the army when they attacked Ra's' forces. He HAD to.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Batman turned his head to see Nightwing standing a few feet away. "What is it?" he asked. Despite his best efforts, his tone was uneven.

"What are you doing here?" Nightwing asked.

Batman remained silent.

Nightwing walked upto him. "Look Bruce, you know you shouldn't be here. I know you shouldn't be here. We all know you shouldn't be here. So why are you here?"

Batman looked away. "You should get some rest. It'll be dawn in a couple of hours."

Nightwing sighed. "Barbara was right. We can do this without you. I've had experience with Ra's. You've told me all about him. And it's not exactly like we have a bunch of amateurs with us. You don't need to be here."

"I can't put my own personal feelings before the good of the world," Batman said. "I never have, and I shouldn't start now."

"You never had a reason to before," said Nightwing. "But things change. You have a wife now. You're going to have children. You have new responsibilities. Like it or not, you have other things in your life now apart from Batman. And it's time you proved that. Go to your wife. She needs you. We don't."

Batman kept his gaze at the sky. "Get some rest. We strike first thing."

Nightwing was silent, then sighed, shaking his head. He then walked away and rejoined the others.

Batman looked at the communicator again. He silently turned it on and held it infront of him. There was a light as the link was made. "J'onn, it's Batman."

Batman could immediately hear Diana screaming in the background. J'onn's voice failed to cover it. "Batman, I…"

"We're engaging at dawn," Batman interrupted. "I'll keep you updated on our progress."

There was silence, before J'onn eventually spoke. "Fine," he said simply.

Batman's head sunk. "J'onn… how… ?" His voice trailed.

"It is as I feared," said J'onn. "Things aren't going well. She's been in labour for five hours, but has only progressed to six inches. She's taking a dangerously long time. All the painkillers I've given her have been inadequate. She's in agony. And there's nothing I can do. We just have to wait."

Diana's voice screamed from the background. "BRUCE, PLEASE, I NEED YOU! PLEASE! I CAN'T… CAN'T… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Batman tried to speak, but his vocal cords refused to work. Instead, he quickly turned off the communicator and put it down.

He stared at the sky.

He then did something he had never done before.

Unable to support his weight, his legs buckled, and he fell to his knees.

He stared at the ground.

He was going to lose her…

/

Ra's Al Ghul sat in the chair, watching the sun rise. He loved that. The natural beauty of the world; the simple, everyday things that the Earth did. He loved everything about the planet. The sun. The air. The plants. The serenity of the natural order.

And it was being destroyed by Man.

That was why he was causing earthquakes the world over. He was purifying the planet, ridding it of the decease that was Mankind. Mankind was killing the earth, so he would kill Mankind before it could finish the job.

Once enough quakes had destroyed enough of the civilised world, he would be the only person capable of saving it. He would rise in power, slowly set his own laws and his own way. He would give the Earth a second chance.

He heard a chime as someone rang the bell to his room. He turned around and faced the door. "Enter," he said.

The door slowly opened, and one of his servants entered cautiously. "My Master," he said. "I have some distressing news."

Ra's tilted his head. "What?"

"We are under attack, Master," the servant said. "An army is moving across the desert. It has already taken out first two lines of defence."

"I see." Ra's went over to a desk where several monitors were above on the wall. He pressed a few buttons and all the monitors came on. He looked at the ones directed at the desert, and saw the army. He instantly recognised all of them. They were the so-called world's greatest heroes.

But he immediately noticed that the Detective was not with them. There was no way they could have made it to his headquarters without him. This attack was just a diversion. The Detective was elsewhere, doing the real damage.

"Get every one of our soldiers to hold off those people as long as possible," he said. "Prepare my toxin, and have every camera in the underground levels turned off."

The servant looked surprised. "Turned off, Master… ?"

"Yes," Ra's said. "Now leave."

The servant bowed. "Yes, Master." He then left the room.

Ra's turned back to the window. He knew this time would come.

It was time for he and the Detective to have their last duel…

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. Chapter 9

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

__5\. And now Superman acts out-of-character. Sigh.__

* * *

PART 9

Batman strode through the corridors of the underground cavern, knowing exactly where he was at all times. He had memorised the layout from his last visits, and Ra's had not changed it. That was either a good thing or a bad thing. Either this would be easier than he thought, or Ra's had a plan.

But he had other things on his mind. He tried to forget, but he kept going back to Diana. The sound of her screaming over the commlink resounded in his head. It was a sound he would never forget.

It hurt him immensely not to be with her. He knew she needed him, and he so desperately wanted to be by her side. But despite what he had said, he was not in the desert because the other heroes needed him. He was there… because he was afraid.

He did not want to see anymore loved ones die. If he lost Diana… he did not know what he would do. Perhaps he would finally go over the edge, become what some people thought he already was – a merciless killer.

That was why he could not be there. If he saw her die… if he saw his children die… he would never recover. He loved her more than anything… he could not bear losing her.

And if he did… he would not be able to watch.

He passed a door which he remembered to be a cell. He ignored it until he heard a small voice. "Can I have a drink?"

He stopped, immediately recognising the voice. He went back to the door, and saw the heavy padlock. He looked through the window of the door, and saw her sitting there.

Talia.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked.

She darted her face up, and looked at him, surprised. "Beloved!" she said, standing up. "I knew you'd come."

He stared at her. The thought of her pointing a gun to his pregnant wife made him furious. "Why are you locked up?" he asked.

"My father did not like me going to your city," she said. "He had me locked for a week."

"Where is he?" Batman asked.

"He's planning to destroy every major city in the world," Talia said. "He's using sound vibration machines to cause the earthquakes."

"Where?" said Batman.

"Let me out," said Talia, "And I will show you."

"Do you expect me to believe you'd betray your father?" said Batman. "I've heard it before."

"I don't agree with his plans," she said. "He's going too far. This isn't the right way."

Batman thought for a moment. He did not trust Talia… but he did not have the time to waste. He removed a lockpick from his utility belt, and went to the bolted lock.

A few minutes later, Batman and Talia were rushing to a place he had never seen before. They eventually reached a large room full of machinery. "This is the control centre," she said.

Batman looked around. "Which one is the vibration machine console?"

Talia pointed at a table-sized machine a few feet away. "That one."

Batman went upto it. "How does it work?"

"I'm afraid that's something you won't find out, Detective."

Batman and Talia turned their heads at the sound of the voice. Ra's Al Ghul emerged from the shadows. "My congratulations for your resourcefulness, Detective. But you won't leave here alive."

/

Diana was in the most pain she had ever been in her life. She felt like she was being torn apart, and every minute, she was being pulled harder and harder. She had been in labour for over seven hours, and she had felt every single moment of it. Her contractions had been frequent and agonising, never letting up. Sweat was pouring off her body. Her vision was blurry. Her breathing was hard and ragged. And every part of her ached.

She slowly lifted her head, and looked at J'onn. "Where is he…?" she whimpered.

J'onn looked saddened at her. "I… I'm sorry…" he said. "No word."

Diana's lip trembled, and tears ran down her cheek. "Call him… please… call him…"

"I can't," J'onn said. "He's turned off his communicator."

Diana closed her eyes tight, as yet another contraction began. She cried out, unsure if she could take much more. "AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

She took quick breaths as the contraction faded, and looked at Shayera. Her hand was in a cast after Diana had broken it during the ordeal. "I can't do this…" she said. "I can't do this without him…"

Shayera held her shoulder, as tears ran down her own face. "Oh Diana… J'onn, call him again."

"There's no time," J'onn said. "You've breeched ten centremeters. It's time."

Diana looked at him. "What…?"

"They're ready to come out," he said. "It's time to start pushing."

Diana sobbed. "I can't… he's not here…"

"I'm sorry," said J'onn. "It's now or never."

Diana shook her head. "Please… I can't…"

J'onn looked at her. "I'm sorry, Diana," he said. "You have to."

Diana took quick, throaty breaths as another contraction began. "Bruce… where are you…?"

/

The forces kept coming… and they kept knocking them away.

Superman hovered above the ground. This was the twentieth swarm of soldiers they faced, yet they just kept coming. There seemed to be no end to Ra's' forces.

He looked around and saw the other heroes swatting the soldiers away. It was not a matter of strength: the soldiers were no match for them. It was the sheer number of them.

He looked at Green Lantern. He was still angry at him for convincing Bruce to stay with them rather than be with Diana. Lantern was always so serious, so duty-driven. At least Bruce had mellowed somewhat since he had been with Diana. But John was as hard-nosed as ever.

He flew over to Lantern threw back four soldiers with a spade made from his ring. "Can I talk to you a moment?" Superman asked.

Lantern looked at him. "We're kind of busy right now."

"The others have them under control," Superman said. "They can survive a few minutes without us."

"We have a job to do," Lantern said.

Superman sighed, then flew under Lantern. He then pushed him up, holding his green force field that surrounded him. He flew up, taking Lantern high above the others fighting below. Once they were several feet in the air, Superman stopped and flew up to face him. "Why did you tell Bruce to stay here with us?"

Lantern looked incredulously at him. "What? We don't have time for this."

Superman put his hand up. "Why did you say it?"

Lantern sighed. "We have more important things to do than hold Diana's hand while she gives birth. Batman has a duty…"

"Bruce has a duty to his wife," Superman interrupted. "Nightwing and Batgirl could have gone and found Ra's' machines, but you told Bruce we needed him here – when we DON'T – and he insisted on going alone." His tone was angrier than usual, but he was really irate about the situation. "You heard J'onn's call, and you heard Diana's screams in the background. She's in agony, and she needs Bruce."

Lantern began to lower down, but Superman grabbed him by the shoulder. "We can't put the problem of one woman ahead of the world!" Lantern said. "And I thought of all people, you'd understand that! We can't drop everything for her…"

"No, but BRUCE CAN!" Superman shouted. "You've been in the Green Lantern Corps so long, you've forgotten that there's more to life than work! Bruce has a family now, and they need him."

Lantern frowned. "Personal lives should not interfere with work."

Superman folded his arms. "What if it was Shayera?"

Lantern blinked. "What…?"

"What if it was Shayera giving birth to your children? Would you be here then? Because if you would, yet you KNEW you weren't needed, then there's something wrong with you."

Lantern was silent.

Superman lowered his arms and began to face the people fighting below. "I didn't think you'd take this long to answer." He then flew down, leaving Lantern alone.

/

Batman and Talia looked at Ra's Al Ghul, as he walked out of the shadows. "What are you going to do now, Detective?" he asked.

Batman took a step forward. "How are you causing the earthquakes?"

Ra's looked at the machine Talia had told Batman was the control centre of the satellite that was causing the earthquakes. "I have a satellite in space, sending shock waves into the Earth's atmosphere, aimed at specific points. Once I've destroyed enough cities, I will be the only person the world will be able to turn to for help."

"And you'll be able to exert your power and become the most powerful man in the world," Batman said.

"Exactly," said Ra's. "The strong will rise, and the weak that destroy this planet will be wiped out. I'll be able to save this planet from the decease that is mankind."

Batman sighed. "You should hang out with Poison Ivy. You two would get on like a house on fire."

Ra's raised a gun at Batman. "Admit it, Detective. You've lost. You'll never leave her to tell your colleagues about the satellite." He turned to Talia. "And as for you, my dear daughter…" He then pulled the trigger, and a small dart shot out. It hit Talia in the chest, and she collapsed on the floor.

Batman knelt down and held her head. She looked at him weakly. "Beloved…"

Batman looked at Ra's. "What did you do to her?"

"I'm sure you remember the poison that nearly killed your wife and the Thanagarian, and I'm sure you know I was behind it," Ra's said. "This pistol fires darts coated with the toxin. I've given Talia a reduced dose. She won't be killed, but she must be disciplined for betraying me."

"You'd shoot your own daughter…" Batman growled.

"I HAVE shot my own daughter," said Ra's. "Everything is secondary to my quest. I'm sure you'd understand that."

Batman blinked. His thoughts returned to Diana, in pain, possibly dying…

He stood up and walked towards Ra's. "I've had enough of you, you deceased maniac…" He was unusually abrupt, but he was getting angrier…

"As I have you," Ra's said. He then fired his gun again, and a dart shot straight into Batman's chest. He fell to the floor. "That dart had the full toxin, Detective," Ra's said. "You'll be dead in a matter of minutes."

"I don't think so," Batman said. He then stood up, and faced Ra's, unharmed.

Ra's' eyes widened. "How…?"

Batman pulled the dart out of his chest. "Body armour," he said. He then flicked the dart away, and stepped towards Ra's. "Tell me where the satellite is…"

Suddenly, a laser hit Batman's shoulder. It cut through his body armour, and he screamed in pain. "Aaargh!" He fell to the ground.

Talia knelt weakly on her knees, holding her laser. "I'm sorry, Beloved… but he's still my father…"

Batman watched as Ra's went to Talia and picked her up. He then walked to the door, his daughter in his arms. "My toxin may not kill you," he said, "but I'm sure you can still suffocate." He then pressed a button on his belt buckle, and the ceiling collapsed. It slammed into Batman, pinning him to the ground. Sand and dirt then began to fall from the open ceiling, and within seconds it began to fill the room.

Ra's opened the door. "Goodbye, Detective." He then walked out, and closed the door behind him.

Batman looked up slowly. He was weak from the laser, he was pinned to the ground, and the sand was raising fast.

And his wife was dying.

Batman struggled to free himself, but he was too weak.

His vision went blurry, as he struggled to stay conscious…

Not now… not now…

TO BE CONTINUED


	10. Chapter 10

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out **this was written over a decade ago**. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

__5\. Today (13th May) marks the second anniversary of my time on this site! Thank you for all the support over the past two years. I hope you continue to follow my stuff... it's far, far from done.__

* * *

PART 10

Batman lay on the ground, unable to move. He was pinned to the floor by ceiling tiles, and the room was being filled with sand. Within seconds, it would rise above his head, and he would suffocate.

But that was not why he was unhappy. It never was. His own death was never important to him. He knew it would probably come sooner or later.

And it was not about stopping the villain. Usually he would be thinking about surviving so he could put a stop to his adversaries' plans. But not now.

All he could think about was Diana. He would never see her again, and that hurt more than anything.

He kept thinking about her, at the Watchtower, screaming. She was agony… they had known for months she would be in agony. But he was not with her. He wanted to be, but he had to put his own problems aside. After so many years of putting other people before himself… he knew no other way to live.

But he wanted to be with her so much. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, burden her pain. The thought of her in pain hurt him more than anything had before. But because of his mission, his quest… she was alone.

And now he was going to lose her. He knew it. He did not doubt her strength, but it was a feeling he had. He just knew… if he did not get to her, she would die. And without her, he had no reason to live.

Why was he there? He knew he was not needed, but he was so afraid of seeing the woman he loved die… he ran away. He loved her so much. He could not bear to see her die. But she was going to. He was going to lose everything. Again.

He never thought he could love someone so much. He had loved before: Zatanna, Andrea, Selina, Talia. But Diana was different. He loved her. Cherished her. He knew in this moment, when he was about to die… she was more important than ANYTHING.

The thought of never seeing her again was unbearable. He would never again see her. Never touch her. Never hold her. Never kiss her. Never be with her ever again.

He did something he had not done since he was a child.

He cried.

The sand began to fill above his chin. He tried to lift his head as much as he could, but it was no good. The sand got higher and higher, and it began to fill his mouth.

His vision went blurry, and he choked as the sand filled his throat. The sand got higher and higher, and within seconds, he was completely engulfed.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and the wall burst apart. A figure dove into the room, and rushed towards where Batman was buried. It grabbed the ceiling tiles and threw them away. It then pulled Batman out of the sand and helped him to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

Batman coughed, sand spilling from his mouth. He looked at Superman. "Yes…" he gasped. "What…?"

"It's OK," said Superman. "Take deep, long, slow breaths."

Batman bent over and rested his arms on his knees. "There's a… satellite… causing the earthquakes…"

"We'll deal with it," Superman said. Lantern and Flash walked into the room. Superman turned to them. "Someone get him some water."

Batman stood up, and tried to appear as calm as he could. "I'm OK," he said. "Come on, we have to stop the satellite."

"No," Lantern said. "We'll deal with it."

Batman went towards the hole in the wall. "I'll supervise…"

Lantern put a hand on his shoulder. "No, you won't. We can handle it."

Batman looked at him. "I'm needed here…"

"No, you're needed at the Watchtower," Lantern said. "Diana needs you."

Batman blinked. He wanted to be with her, but he was on autopilot, and he knew no other way to operate. "I have a duty…"

"I was wrong," Lantern said. "A man needs to be with his wife when she needs him. Go."

Batman wanted to go, but he could not. He was again afraid. Afraid of losing her. "I'm staying."

Lantern pointed a finger at him. "No, you're not. You're going to your wife."

Batman went to leave the room. "No, we have to…"

Lantern stepped infront of him. "'We' don't have to do anything. YOU need to get your butt to your wife!"

Batman could not bring himself to cave. "No…" He brushed past Lantern.

Lantern stopped him with a hand. "Batman, stop!" He then punched Batman in the face, sending him to the ground. "Now go!"

As Batman got to his feet, Superman turned to Flash. "Get him out of here."

Before Batman could do anything else, Flash picked him up and rushed out of the room, carrying him on his back…

/

"DIANA!"

Batman ran into the medbay, closely followed by Flash, barely letting the door open fully. He ran across the room to the bed that his wife was lying at.

Diana, J'onn and Shayera turned their heads as Batman rushed upto them. "Bruce!" Diana held out her arms, and when Batman got to her side, they embraced tightly. They released eachother and Batman held her head.

"Are you alright?" he asked, then gave her quick kisses. He saw how tired she was. Her body was covered in sweat, her eyes were red and heavy, and her breathing was ragged.

"Where have you been?" Diana asked, her tone bordering on pleading. She then noticed his shoulder. "Bruce, you're hurt… how… how… eeeeeeeeeeEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH!" She screamed as she had another contraction, throwing her head back.

Batman took her hand. "What's her progress? How are the twins?"

J'onn returned his head to the situation. "It's… not good. It's been eight hours… she's been pushing for one… nothing. They're not going down. No matter how hard she pushes, they're not moving."

Flash went to J'onn's side. "Can't you like… phase in and get them out or something?"

J'onn looked at him. "What? No!"

Diana lifted her head. "Please… I can't do it…"

Batman held her hand tightly. "Yes you can. Diana, you can do this. I know you can."

Diana looked at him, tears running down her face. "Bruce… I can't… it's so hard…"

"I know," he said, "but you can do it. I love you, and you need me, and that's more important than anything. We'll do this together."

Shayera looked at Batman's shoulder. "That looks pretty bad…"

"Shayera, put a bandage on Batman's shoulder," J'onn said.

As Shayera went over to the cabinet, Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out a pair of gloves. He put them on over his usual gloves, and took Diana's hand in both of his. "What's that…?" Diana asked weakly.

"Steel mesh," said Batman. "I'm going to be here for you the entire way."

Diana sobbed, then gasped as another contraction began. She screamed in agony, and clenched her fist. The gloves protected Batman's hands from breaking.

Minutes passed. The room was filled with Diana's agonised screams. And they could do nothing but wait, and urge Diana to push harder.

An hour passed, then J'onn nodded his head. "I see something…"

Bruce, his cape and cowl discarded, held Diana's shoulder. "Come on, Diana… just a bit more…"

Diana took a deep breath, then pushed hard. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

J'onn reached in and grabbed something. He looked at what he had in his hands, and his eyes widened. "Oh no…"

Bruce looked at him. "What?"

"It's upside down…" J'onn said. "I have the legs."

Diana took quick breaths. "Bruce… I can't do this… I… can't… it hurts so… much…"

Bruce leaned close to her. "Listen to me. You can do this. I believe in you. Just a bit more… I love you, and I KNOW you can do this."

Diana looked at him, and a determined look appeared on her face. It quickly faded, however, when another contraction began. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

J'onn began to pull. "Come on…" He pulled as hard as he could, and the baby began to appear. He pulled a bit further, until only the head remained inside. He supported the baby's back and slowly eased it out, until it was completely out. "It's a girl…" he said.

Diana fell back onto the bed, and tried to get her breath back. "A girl…" She then frowned. "Crying…" She lifted her head. "Why isn't she crying?"

J'onn looked at the silent baby in his arms. "She's not breathing…"

TO BE CONTINUED


	11. Chapter 11

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out **this was written over a decade ago**. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 11

Superman, Green Lantern, Nightwing and Batgirl looked at the control console infront of them. "It's all pretty straightforward," Nightwing said. "The satellite is sending pulse waves into the atmosphere, at specific locations. The waves enter the ground and vibrate the Earth's plates. That's how all these random earthquakes have been happening at the same time.

"How can we stop it?" Superman said.

"Simple," Nightwing said. "We just have to find the satellite and destroy it.

"Does that say where it is?" Batgirl asked.

Nightwing shook his head. "No, but it shouldn't matter. You two could take a side of the Earth, and find it in no time."

Lantern nodded. "OK, let's go."

"See if you can find Al Ghul," Superman said. "And round up his soldiers."

"OK," said Nightwing.

Superman turned to Lantern. "You take east, I'll take west."

With that, the two flew off faster than a speeding bullets.

Within minutes, they were on opposite sides of the planet. Superman activated his communicator. "John, do you see anything?"

"No," Lantern said, as he flew around the other side of the planet. "How can we find it among all this other satellites?"

"I regularly check the satellites," Superman said. "I'll find it." He flew a few hundred miles, then saw an object that did not belong there. "Found it."

He flew upto it, and could feel the pulse waves coming out of the satellite's plates. He grabbed it and flew further from the Earth, taking it away from Earth's orbit. Once he was several hundred miles away from the world, he swung his arm back, and sent it into the machine, punching it in the central core. The satellite exploded into a thousand pieces, and floated through space.

"Target destroyed," Superman said. "Meet you back with the others."

"Roger," Lantern said.

As Superman flew back to Earth, he thought about Bruce and Diana. They had successfully stopped Ra's' plans…

He just hoped Bruce and Diana's lives weren't ruined…

/

Everyone looked at J'onn, as he held the silent baby in his arms. Diana was crying profusely. "What do you mean she's not breathing…?"

J'onn looked at her. "She's… not breathing," was all he could say.

"Do something," Bruce said. "Give her CPR."

"I've… never given a Human CPR," J'onn said. "I could do it too fast… kill her…"

Shayera leaned close. "J'onn, you have to. You were a father… you can do it…"

J'onn stared at her. "I…"

Flash put a hand on J'onn's shoulder. "Come on, J'onn. It'll be alright. If anyone can do it, you can."

J'onn darted his head between them. "I don't know… I just…"

"J'onn, PLEASE!" Diana shouted. "You have to do… to… EEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Diana screamed as another contraction began. Bruce held her hand tightly.

"The second baby is ready to come out," J'onn said.

"Already?" Shayera cried.

"What about the girl?" Flash asked.

J'onn took the clippers, and quickly cut the ambilical cord of the girl. He then held it out to Flash. "Flash, it's up to you."

Flash took a step back in surprise. "What?"

"I need to see to Diana," J'onn said. "Shayera's tending to Batman's wound. You'll have to perform the CPR."

Flash was not sure what to do. "But… I don't know how…"

"You said you were taught in school…" J'onn said.

"Yeah, but this is a baby!" shouted Flash. "I can't…"

J'onn forced the baby into Flash's arms. "You'll have to. You're her only chance." Before Flash could say anything, J'onn turned away and went to Diana.

Flash looked at the infant in his arms. He could not believe what was going on. He could not do this. He was not a doctor. It was insane…

He looked at the girl. She was deathly silent, and her chest was still.

He had to try.

He went over to the other bed and placed the baby on the mattress. He tried to remember what he was taught in high school… He began to rub her belly, barely putting any pressure on her. She looked so delicate…

He pressed harder, and pushed down on her stomach. He began to pump her stomach up and down, trying to get her breathing muscles working.

He leaned down and took a deep breath. He held her nose and tilted her head up. He then pressed his lips on hers, and breathed as hard as he dared. He looked up, and felt her belly. It was unmoving.

He repeated the action for the next few minutes, sweat pouring under his cowl. As time passed, time seemed to stop, and the outside world seemed to disappear. All that mattered was getting her to breath.

And that was all that mattered. As he continued to breath into her lungs, massaging her stomach, everything else evaporated. He no longer cared about what others thought about him. He was no longer angry about being considered the child of the team. None of that mattered. None of that EVER mattered. All he cared about was keeping this baby alive.

He kept breathing, pressing against her chest. He looked up, as his determination grew stronger. "Come on, kid… breath. You're not going that easily… breath." He then leaned down again, and breathed as hard and as long as he could.

He lifted his head up, and stared at her. An eternity passed. Then, suddenly, instantly, the baby burst into life, crying and screaming loudly. She waved her arms and legs around, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Flash threw his fist into the air. "YESS! Who is the MAN?" He looked down at her, smiled widely. She continued to cry, making an absolute din.

It was the greatest thing he had ever heard.

/

Diana screamed as another contraction began. She held Bruce's hand tightly, tears pouring down her face. "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH!" She breathed quickly as the contraction faded. She closed her eyes and sobbed. "J'onn… our daughter… is she alright?"

J'onn looked at Flash. The Scarlet Speedster looked at him, a huge smile on his face. He gave a thumbs up, and the sound of crying could be heard from the next bed.

J'onn smiled. "Yes… she's fine."

Diana sighed with relief. "Thank Hera…" She looked at Bruce. "We have a daughter…"

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "I knew she'd be fine…"

Diana cried with joy, but the smile quickly faded as another contraction began. She clenched her teeth. "EeeeeEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" She held her head, sobbing hard. "Bruce… I can't do this…"

"Yes you can," he said. "Just a bit more…"

"Not far to go now, Diana," J'onn said. "Just a few more pushes…"

Diana lifted her head up. She tensed her body, and took a deep breath. "Hera… give me strength…" She then pushed strongly. "AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!"

J'onn reached in. "I see a head…"

Bruce leaned close to Diana. "Just a bit more… you can do it, my love…"

Diana took a deep breath. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

J'onn took the baby by the head, and eased it out. The baby was crying as J'onn lifted it up in his hands.

Diana collapsed onto the mattress, breathing quickly. Sweat was running off her, and her eyes were full of tears. Bruce lowered his head and held her shoulder. "You did it…" He kissed her forehead. "Well done…"

J'onn got the clippers and cut the ambilacle cord. He then turned to Flash, who slowly lifted the girl from the bed. J'onn took the second baby in one hand, and Flash handed him the girl. J'onn rested both babies in his arms, and turned to Bruce and Diana. He smiled. "Bruce, Diana… you have a daughter and a son…"

He gently handed them to Diana, who weakly held out her arms. She took them and rested them on her chest, as Bruce lifted the pillow so she could see. She cried as she looked at them. "We did it…" she whispered. "Our babies…"

Bruce stroked her hair, smiling broadly. "I'm so proud of you…" he said. He gently stroked the back of his son's head.

Diana wept with joy. She smiled at her babies, who had stopped crying and looked at her, tired-eyed. "Hello…" she sighed.

The room was silent for a long, long time…

TO BE CONCLUDED


	12. Chapter 12

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

_1\. _This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.__

__2\. As always, ____I'll point out **this was written over a decade ago**. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of __Unlimited__ wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, __The Savage Time__. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.__

__3\. Things get pretty crazy in this story. There are massive timejumps - often within a chapter - and the final act is the very definition of contrivance. That said, enjoy!__

__4\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh.__

* * *

PART 12

The room was silent, apart from the occasional rustle of sheets. Bruce and Diana sat on the bed, looking at their new children. J'onn, Flash and Shayera had left them alone to get to know their babies. Diana sat up in the bed, holding both children in her arms. Bruce sat on the side of the mattress, his arm around Diana's shoulder.

Diana sobbed quietly. "They're so small…" she whispered. She smiled as the girl shifted in her arms, stretching out slightly. "Bruce… we did it…"

Bruce stroked her hair. "You did it, my love… I'm so proud of you…"

Diana sighed as Bruce stroked her cheek. She looked at him lovingly. "Thank you for being here…"

"I'm sorry I took so long," Bruce said. "It took me some time to realise what mattered to me more… you're the most important thing in my life."

Diana looked surprised. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do," Bruce said. "I'm going to make some changes, Diana. I'm going to spend more time with you and the children. We'll be a real family."

"I'd like that," Diana said. "But I think we'll have to talk about it properly."

Bruce kissed her on the forehead. "OK… but I do mean it."

Diana smiled, and they looked at eachother. They leaned close to eachother, and kissed tenderly.

They ended the kiss, and smiled. Diana then turned her head and looked at their children. "They're so beautiful…" she said. She looked at the girl. "My little princess… I knew you'd be alright…"

"I never thought I'd say this," Bruce said. "But I'm indebted to the Flash forever."

"I had faith that she'd pull through," Diana said. "She's a little Amazon…"

Bruce stroked his daughter's chin. "Faith… that sounds nice."

Diana looked at him. "Faith?" She was silent for a moment, then looked back at the girl, and smiled. "Faith… I like that…" She looked at the boy. "What would you like to call him?"

"Thomas," said Bruce. "After my father." He reached out and tickled his son's ear.

Diana cried as she looked at their children. "Faith and Thomas… our babies…" She looked at Bruce. "I love you so much…"

Bruce wiped her tears away. "I love you too…"

They looked at their children, and held eachother closely. They sat in silence, as their life together began…

/

"YOU JERK!"

Lantern darted his head to the side, just as the plate flew past. It smashed on the wall behind him. "Shayera… shhh. You'll wake the babies…"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" Shayera shouted. She picked up another plate and pointed it at him. "You are such an inconsiderate, uncaring, heartless, insensitive JERK!" She threw the plate through the air.

Lantern raised his arm and caught the plate in a green bubble. "Look," he said, "I know it was a stupid thing to do…"

"Stupid? STUPID?" Shayera pointed at him, her other hand on her hip. "Diana was here, in AGONY, CRYING her eyes out, and you're all, 'Oh, oh, business comes first'. How could you tell Batman to leave his wife when she needed him more than ever? Do you have no feelings at all?"

"I know it was a stupid thing!" Lantern shouted. "I realised it when I saw the state he was in… he was a mess. And Superman talked sense into me. He asked me what I would do if it was you…"

"And if it was?" Shayera interrupted.

Lantern took a step forward. "After seeing Batman and Diana's children… there's nothing that would keep me away."

Shayera lowered her arm, but still tried to look angry. "Really…?" she asked.

Lantern walked upto her. "If I was on the other side of the galaxy… I'd move the planets themselves so I could get to you faster."

Shayera relaxed her stance as he went upto her, until he was just inches away from her. Lantern smiled, as he knew that although he was weakening her tough exterior, she still tried to appear angry. "Keep talking…" she said.

Lantern lifted her head up with his hand. "I used to think that the only thing worthwhile in my life was my work. But not anymore. You're the most important thing in my life Shayera… seeing Batman and Diana with their children… made me realise how much I love you."

A tear ran down Shayera's cheek. "I love you too…"

They leaned in, and kissed. Lantern put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. The kiss became more passionate, and Lantern lowered her down to the bed…

Forty-five minutes later, they sat in bed, holding eachother. John took a sip of his water, and looked at Shayera, who was resting her head on his chest. He smiled. "So am I forgiven?"

Shayera giggled. "Yes… yes, you're forgiven." She sat up and looked away, biting her lower lip.

"You know," John said. "I thought you'd be angry, but you were furious back there. Didn't realise it meant that much to you."

"Right," Shayera said. "John… did you mean it when you said you'd be there for me if it was me?"

John looked at her. "Of course."

"John?"

"Yes?"

She looked at him, and put her hand on her stomach. "Guess what…"

/

The floor was littered with toys. Some soft animals, a few books. There was a big mat in the middle of the floor, which was all creased and rustled in a mess. The coach and chairs had been pushed back, to make more room. The TV had a cartoon on, with cute music and colourful animals.

Diana held the blanket infront of her. "Where's Mommy?" She then dropped it, and Faith and Thomas stared back at her. "Here I am!" She raised the blanket again. "Where's Mommy?" She dropped it again and grinned. "Here I am!" Faith giggled and Thomas bobbed up and down on his bottom.

Diana laughed. "Yes! That's it, bouncy, bouncy!" Thomas waved his arms in the air, and squealed. Faith looked at him, and copied his bobbing motions. Diana clapped. "Aw, that's it, bouncy, bouncy too!" The twins looked at her and clapped noisily. Diana bent down and tickled their noses. "Aw, who's clever? Who's clever? That's right – you!"

J'onn walked into the lounge. "Hello, Diana." He went over and sat down on a chair. "And how are you?"

Diana looked at him. "We're fine," she said. "We've been playing. We're very clever, you know."

J'onn smiled. "That's nice. You've been having fun?"

Diana looked at the twins. "Have we been having fun?" They looked at her, wide-eyed. "Yes, we have, Uncle J'onn. We've had lots of fun."

J'onn reached over and picked up the packet of Oreos on the table. As he put the packet on his lap, the babies looked at him, and frowned. They began to moan and whine.

J'onn looked at the Oreos, and put them back on the table. "Sorry, sorry… I forgot, I have my own." He looked at Diana. She had her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry, J'onn," she said. "But if you will eat all of yours so quick…"

J'onn frowned, but could not help a smile. "Let's remember who the babies are around here…"

Diana snorted, and the babies looked at her. "Oops, funny noise… Mommy make a funny noise." The twins laughed and bobbed up and down quicker. Diana tilted her head. "Aww… they're so cute."

J'onn looked at her. "And how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine…" Diana said.

"Diana…" J'onn pressed.

Diana sighed. "I'm still in a bit of pain. Bit sore, bit tired. But I'll be OK."

"You haven't been pushing yourself, have you?" J'onn said.

"With you, Bruce, and everyone else always checking up on me," she said. "It's impossible for me to do anything without you knowing. You worry to much…"

"Batman left explicit instructions to not let you do too much," said J'onn.

"Yes, and at home I have Alfred and Tim always keeping an eye on us," Diana said. "He's even dragged Dick and Barbara from their new apartment several times to look after us."

"Batman only wants you to be alright," J'onn said. "He doesn't want you to be doing too much."

Diana shook her head. "I'm fine, really. I just…" She shifted position, and winced. "Ah…"

J'onn stood up and went over to her. He knelt down. "Are you alright?"

Diana breathed quickly. "Yes… just a little twinge…"

"You should be sitting in a chair," J'onn said. "Or at least on a cushion…"

Diana put her hand up. "I'm fine… stop worrying…"

"Do you want me to call Batman and get him to come her and get you to relax himself?" J'onn asked.

Diana smiled. "I'd love that actually."

J'onn looked confused, then widened his eyes in realisation. "Oh, what are you like?"

Diana picked up a soft animal and held it out to the babies. "Where is Bruce, anyway? Still trying to find Al Ghul and Talia?"

"Yes," J'onn answered. "There's still no sign of them."

Diana picked up another toy and put it infront of Faith, and squeezed it. The toy squeaked loudly, and Faith laughed. "And how are the others? How's Shayera?"

"She's fine," J'onn said. "Why do you ask?"

"She's been in the medbay with you a lot," Diana said. "Is she ill or something?"

J'onn looked away. "Er… no."

"Then why has she been in the medbay so much?" continued Diana. "What's going on?"

J'onn was silent. "I don't understand the question," he eventually said.

Diana looked at him. She was about to speak, when she heard footsteps. She turned to the door as Flash walked in. "Hey guys," he said. "How's it hangin'?"

Diana smiled. "We're fine, thanks. How's Linda?"

"She's great, thanks," Flash said. He went upto the middle of the room and sat down with the twins. "And how are you? How's my little niece?"

"They're fine," Diana said. "We've had our lunch, and now we're having a little play before bedtime."

"That's nice," Flash said. "And while you're sleeping, who'll be looking after the babies?"

Diana threw a toy at him. "Funny," she said flatly.

J'onn stood up. "Can I get anyone a drink?"

Diana raised her hand. "Yes, I'll have a…"

"Milkshake," J'onn interrupted. "I know. Flash?"

"Soda if you're going that way, J'onn," Flash said.

J'onn went to the door, but stopped as someone walked in. He looked at him. "Diana," he said. "There's someone to see you."

Diana looked up. "Bruce!"

Batman walked upto them. "Hello Diana, Flash." He looked down. "Faith. Thomas."

"Gee, you're so sociable, Bats," Flash said drolly. "You better cut down on the niceties."

Batman looked at him. Flash went silent. "Er, J'onn…" he eventually said, standing up. "Let me help you with those drinks…" With that, he whizzed over to the Martian, and the two hurried out of the room.

Batman looked at Diana, who smiled at him. He smirked. "Just because I'm indebted to him doesn't mean I can't scare the wits out of him," he said. He knelt down and leaned close to Diana. She leaned in, and they kissed passionately. They melted into eachother, and Diana stroked his cheek. They eventually separated reluctantly.

"We've missed you…" she whispered. She leaned back and stretched out. Batman looked worried. "Oh… stop it," Diana said. "I'm not an invalid."

"You're not going to even so much as lean over without my permission," Batman said. "I don't want you hurting yourself…"

"You were like this all during the pregnancy," she said. "You're NOT going to be all protective now."

Batman stroked her hair. "Do you really think you could stop me?" he said, his smirk widening.

Diana sighed. "I'm so happy…" she breathed. "Stay a little while, OK?"

Batman sat down on the floor. "OK." He looked at the babies. "And… how are they?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Diana said, grinning.

Batman looked at her, a look of disbelief on his face. He then turned to the twins. "How are… you?" he asked awkwardly. They looked at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Batman looked at Diana. "They're not saying anything."

Diana shook her head. "Of course not, they're babies."

Batman looked uncomfortable. "Then… why did I ask them if they were OK?"

"Because it's cute," Diana said. "And you are, when you're confused."

"I'm not confused," Batman said quickly. "I never get confused."

"Then tell me this," Diana said. "How do you change a diaper?"

Batman looked at her out of the corner of his eye, but remained silent.

Diana put her hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh. "I love you…" she said.

"Good," Batman said. "And you're lucky I love you, because otherwise I wouldn't let you get away with doing things like that…"

Diana put her hand on her chest. "Of course you wouldn't…"

Batman picked up a toy, and looked at it. He then saw Diana smirking at him, and put it down. "I'll stay here tonight, if you want. I've talked to Nightwing, and he's happy to look after Gotham for the night."

"That would be nice," Diana said. "You can play with your children…"

Batman glared at her.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll show you how…" She leaned down, and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her. "If the kids get too much, can we make them their own cave?" she asked.

"Maybe," Batman said, holding her close. "Who knows what the future will bring?"

THE END


End file.
